Promise
by Cassandra.Fan
Summary: Hayate comes back to Germany to help Hitomi with her dad's dojo until he's better. After that he will return to his village and they will never see each other again. How will Hitomi cope with this?
1. Long Time No See

Hello community. For those who are following my _What to Fight For _story, please be patient b/c I'm still processing the next chapter in my mind. Plus I am REALLY, REALLY, REALLY depressed that Cassandra is not in _Soulcalibur V_! ARRGH, DAMMIT! WHY PROJECT SOUL! WHY! *heavy breathing*

Anyways, I've decided to do this fic since it's been bugging my mind for quite some time. I've read _Midnight _by TheDarkestShinobi and thought, "Woah, that Hitomi/Hayate relationship is a bit too harsh and tragic for me." So I decided to do one myself with this pairing.

DISCLAIMER NOTE: I've never played a _DOA_ videogame, though I do own a PS3 so I might check out _DOA5 _when it comes out. I've watched playthroughs online so I know about what's going on in the _DOA _universe. Plus, none of these characters belong to me; they are from Temco-Koei.

Rated M for future chapters. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 1: Long Time No See<p>

Hitomi quietly sat by her father on a nearby chair as he soundly slept on the hospital bed. He was breathing heavily, but not painfully, much to her relief. But still, this did not stop her from worrying about him.

Ever since Hitomi got back from the fourth DOA tournament, her father's condition had gotten much worse. It's already been three months since the decline of his health had started. As soon as he started showing serious signs of illness and looking like his sickness was at its peak, his doctor had him moved to the emergency room immediately. They were able to save him, but the operation performed on him left him severely weakened, and there was no guarantee that his illness was completely gone. While he was in the hospital, Hitomi did everything she could to prevent his dojo from closing down. She practically spent every second of her free time teaching the students their karate lessons, and so far, there had been no signs of failure. Hitomi had the dojo under control without her father. But still, it wasn't the same without him. All of his young students missed him, despite the fact that he could be rough on them sometimes. Even his instruction assistants felt that the dojo was incomplete without him. Hitomi may have been a great teacher like her father, but she was not him. No one could replace him at the dojo.

With her bright blue eyes, Hitomi looked upon her father. His hair had turned from dark grey to white; wrinkles were made all over his face, especially on his forehead; and his skin had become so pale that he almost looked like a ghost. He truly looked like he was getting really old and ready to die. Tears began to form on the corners of her eyes and she quickly wiped them away. If he woke up, she did not want him to see her cry, for she feared that he believed that tears were a sign of weakness. Hitomi could not hold back the tears that were coming and quietly walked out of his room.

As she closed the door behind her silently, the light-brown haired brunette walked towards a nearby chair and slumped onto it with a heavy sigh. She then brought her elbows upon her knees and her head upon her hands. She then covered her face as she began to sob as quietly as she could. The last thing she needed was unwanted attention from the hospital staff. Hitomi's tears came out of her eyes and began to wet her palms as she had buried her face within them. She just couldn't take it anymore.

_Father . . . of all things this had to happen with you. Why? I can't . . . can't . . . take it anymore! I'm just so lost without you! If you die now . . . I don't know what to do if you're gone! Oh Dad! Please! Please don't leave me! Please don't die! Don't die . . . Please don't die . . ._

Suddenly, Hitomi heard the nurse from the nearby desk call out to her, "Are you alright sweetie? Is there something wrong?"

She quickly wiped away her tears, turned to the nurse and hastily replied, "Oh no, it's nothing! I'm alright! I just . . . I just needed some time to think. That's all."

Hitomi quickly got up from her seat and headed back to her father's room. But she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw his door being closed by someone who was walking into the room. She hastened her pace and walked into the room to see the intruder. As if hearing her coming in, the person turned around to look at her. It was a man with narrow brown eyes and light brown hair that had a hint of red and came down at his shoulders. His skin was slightly tanned, his face was slim, his chin was pointed and his shoulders were broad. The brunette gasped as she recognized the person standing before her.

"Haya- er, I mean . . . Ein," Hitomi said. She knew that she couldn't call him by his real name, or else it would be big trouble. She had to be careful on how she addressed him.

He politely bowed and said with a small smile, "It's been a while, Hitomi. I'm glad to see that you're doing well."

Before he knew it, Hitomi ran up to him and hugged him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. She then whispered into his ear, "I've missed you."

Hayate heavily sighed and wrapped his arms around his slim waist, underneath her denim jacket but over her yellow tank top. He did not want to give her the wrong idea of any sexual desires. He then leaned his head next to her ear and whispered, "I've missed you too."

Suddenly, the two of them heard a weak voice calling out from behind Hayate saying, "Hahaha. You two sure look like a cute couple."

The two of them quickly turned towards Hitomi's father and saw that he was finally awake. With her face flashing red, Hitomi ran to the foot of the bed and said with a loud but stern voice, "We are not a couple, Dad. WE ARE JUST FRIENDS!"

The old man chuckled for a little before coughing up very loudly. Hitomi and Hayate each rushed to both of his sides as he continued to cough, but to their relief, the coughing was brief and he slumped back down on the bed.

He then said with his weak voice, "I'm guess I'm getting a bit old." He then turned to Hayate and asked him, "So Ein, what brings you here back to Germany?"

Hayate let out a big sigh and answered, "I've come back to repay a debt that I owe to you and Hitomi. You two took me into your home and treated me with such kindness. You've helped me get back on my feet and find the path that I must take. Lately, I have felt like I've never repaid you and should do so. And right now, helping Hitomi with keeping the dojo together until you have fully recovered is the best way to pay my debt to you."

"Ein, you don't have to."

"Please, sensei. I insist. Allow me to help Hitomi handle the dojo until you have made a full recovery and can come back."

The old man looked up to the ceiling and replied, "I suppose there's nothing wrong with that. The doctor said that I will be fine, but it'll be about another month before I can leave the hospital. So I guess that there's some work to be done at the dojo while I'm here." He turned his back towards Hayate and asked, "But where do you plan on staying?"

Suddenly, Hitomi blurted out, "Ein can stay with me!"

The two men turned their faces to the girl with confused looks on their faces. They could not believe what she just said. She was letting Hayate stay at her apartment for a whole month.

Her father slowly shook his head. "Hitomi, sweetie, that's very kind of you, but it's just going to be the two of you, and there's only one bedroom at your place, so-"

"But I have a couch that has a bed in it," Hitomi said hastily, cutting off her father. "And it's a good far off distance from my room, so we can have our own privacies alone and away from each other. So there's nothing wrong with that, right? Besides, staying in a hotel or inn for a whole month can get really expensive. Come on, Dad. Try to have a little faith in us."

The old man turned his head back to Hayate and asked, "Is this okay with you, Ein?"

The young man pondered a little on Hitomi's offer before looking back up at her. He didn't want to say no because he hadn't seen her in a while and wanted to spend some time together with her. But her father was afraid that he'll do some naughty things with her. Hayate couldn't deny the fact that he had this secret desire for her, but he knew he had to control himself. He was very well trained in restraining such thoughts in his mind, so this shouldn't have been hard for him to do.

He turned back to his sensei and nodded. "It's fine with me. I promise that there won't be any trouble while I'm with her."

The old man took a heavy sigh and said, "Very well, Hitomi. You can let Ein stay with you while he's here. I'm putting my faith in you, so you better be responsible, alright?"

His daughter took up his hand as she replied with a smile, "Alright, Dad. I promise."

After an hour of a light conversation, Hitomi's father fell fast asleep, and she and Hayate quietly slipped out of the room, not wanting to disturb his slumber.

* * *

><p><strong>A half-hour later, out on the streets<strong>

The duo left the hospital and headed for Hitomi's apartment, which wasn't that far away on foot. For some odd reason, they did not say anything to each other as they walked on the grey sidewalk. Hitomi would occasionally get a glance at Hayate to fully see what he looked like. He was wearing an orange, brown and white jacket that had a symbol of a white bird where his heart was located. Underneath was a black shirt. He had on blue jeans and white trainers for the lower half of his body. She had to admit: not matter what he wore, he was so freaking hot. Realizing what she was thinking, she shook her head, telling herself in her head that she needed to control herself. Sometimes, Hayate would turn his head and see her shaking hers. He asked if something was wrong, but she quickly replied that it was nothing and they continued with their walk.

At around 9 p.m., they finally reached her apartment, and in no time they pulled out the bed from Hitomi's couch and Hayate made himself at home.

It was then that Hitomi finally asked him, "Are you really gonna stay here until Dad's all better?"

"Yes, Hitomi," he answered. "I will help you manage to dojo until your father can stand on his own two feet. You have my word on that."

"But what about your clan? Aren't you their leader? Who's going to take care of things when you're so far away from them for a month?"

"You don't need to worry. I have left my good friend, Ryu, in charge of watching over the clan in my absence. He is a superb ninja like me, and he knows how to keep a ninja clan in order. Don't worry, Hitomi. My clan will be alright. Besides, Ryu has my sister, Kasumi, and Ayane to help him if there's any trouble."

"Okay. That's good to hear." There was a brief moment of silence before Hitomi spoke up again and asked, "Once you're done here . . . I won't see you again . . . will I?"

Hayate was a bit confused by her question and asked, "Why do you say that?"

"Well . . . it's just . . . that . . ." she wanted to say her reason, but she couldn't. It was just too painful to say. She just simply shook her head and said, "Never mind, it's nothing. Well, I guess we should sleep now. Night."

Hayate nodded and replied, "Good night, Hitomi."

What he did next really surprised her. He leaned towards and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. As he pulled away, he noticed that her eyes had widened and her cheeks were getting redder and redder by the second. Realizing what her body was doing, Hitomi quickly walked towards her room and closed her door. As Hayate slumped down on the bed, he shook his head as he looked up to fan that was slowly spinning above him.

_Why did I just do that? What was I thinking?_

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Hitomi slumped on the door and slid down on it, sitting on the floor. That kiss on the cheek Hayate gave her really made her mind go crazy. But she promised her father that she would be responsible and not let her feelings for him get the best of him. Feeling like she had been through a lot, Hitomi got up and headed for her bathroom, thinking that a shower might help her clear her mind. Quickly stripping her clothes off, she turned on the shower with really hot water and stepped inside.<p>

As she let the hot water run over her body, thoughts began to flood her mind again.

_When Dad comes out of the hospital, then Hayate will go back to his village, and this will be the last time I'll be with him. When that day comes . . . will I really let him go, not ever seeing him again?_

Grabbing the soap, Hitomi gently rubbed it on her breasts and continued moving it down her body.

_With Hayate gone, I either have to find another guy, or be single and miserable for the rest of my life. Both options seems bad to me, but what can I do? I know that I will have to move on, but . . . Hayate's the only guy that I've ever been close too . . . I love him . . . _

Briefly rubbing her womanhood and her buttocks with the soap, she continued down to her knees and legs.

_I love Hayate so much . . . but I know it's not going to work . . . He's a ninja, the leader of his clan. There's no way that a relationship like this will never work. I know that, but . . ._

Finished with cleaning herself, Hitomi turned the hot water knob and stopped the water. But she just stood there in the shower with little droplets falling from the tips of her brown hair. Thoughts were still swarming in her mind.

_ I just want Hayate to know that I love him . . . but what if he doesn't feel the same way with me? What if I'm just his friend and nothing more? I don't know what to do . . . These feelings for him that I have inside of me . . . I can't control them now that he's here . . . What should I do?_

Hitomi stepped out of the shower, grabbed a white towel, and began rubbing her hair and then drying her body. After brushing her teeth, she put on her blue pajamas and tucked herself into bed. As she rested her head on her soft pillows, she glanced out her windows and looked at the stars as they flickered with their bright lights in the night sky. She could hear an owl hooting and the winds blowing a small breeze.

_Hopefully before he leaves, I'll know what to do . . . I doubt that will ever happen . . ._

With a small sigh, Hitomi, closed her baby blue eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Well there's the first chapter. Now about the part about Hayate mentioning Kasumi, I think that she was allowed back into the village after the fourth tournament. I don't know this for sure, just saw it on the <em>DOA <em>wiki website about this speculation. Maybe _DOA5 _will give us a clear answer. Please review!


	2. Just Like Old Times

Hey everyone. This one took a long time to write. Had to do a little research on some stuff, like sukiyaki and sushi. No juicy stuff yet, but it's coming. Please read and review!

* * *

><p>Chapter 2: Just Like Old Times<p>

**The next day, around 8 a.m., at the dojo**

The doors of the dojo were flung open as Hitomi and Hayate entered inside. They had woken up early to get a head start before everyone else came in and get ready for the long day.

As they put on their gear, Hitomi got a glance at Hayate, and suddenly, flashbacks flowed in her mind. The times when the two of them would train together under her father; the intense fights they would have against each other; the times that the two of them would teach the younger students; they all came back to her. All of those memories came flooding back to her and reminded her of the happiness she had with him. As she turned her attention to finishing putting on her gear, the very thought of having more memories with Hayate made her a little bit excited and happy. But soon she realized again that this may be the last time he would be with her. He would go back to his village and lead his clan, and there was no way she would see him again. Before she knew it, small tears began to form in her eyes.

Suddenly, she heard a voice calling out to her, asking, "Are you okay, Hitomi?"

Recognizing the voice as Hayate's, Hitomi quickly wiped away her tears, turned to him and answered, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's nothing."

But the ninja wasn't convinced by her answer and raised an eyebrow. "You don't look okay, Hitomi. It's as if something painful had come to your mind. What's really wrong, Hitomi?"

She quickly shook her head and hastily answered, "Nothing's wrong! I'm fine, really!"

But before she knew it, Hayate was in front of her in a blink of an eye. He stared right at her with his piercing brown eyes and said with a stern voice, "Don't try to fool me, Hitomi. Trying to hide your thoughts and feelings from a ninja like me is futile. And don't use a lie to convince me that you're alright. Now tell me, what's wrong?"

Hitomi immediately tried to find the right words to say, but she just couldn't say it. For her, the topic was not something to talk about. So she slowly shook her head and whispered, "I can't . . . I don't want to . . . talk about it right now . . . I need more time to think about it . . ."

Hayate sighed heavily and slowly wrapped his arms around her, drawing her into a deep hug. One arm was wrapped around her waist while the other was at her hair, his fingers running through her light brown locks. He then whispered into her ear, "It's alright. We don't have to talk about it right now. We'll do it when you're ready, okay?"

As they pulled away from each other, Hitomi looked up at him with her sky colored eyes and a small smile on her lips. She was happy that he somewhat understood her trouble of not being able to talk about her problem. He was giving her time to think about it. That eased her mind a bit. She quietly nodded, promising to talk about it later when the time was right.

Suddenly, the front doors opened, and children came running into the dojo, ready to start their karate lessons. They ran up to Hitomi, each child shouting that they want to fight first. All of a sudden, one boy turned to Hayate, and, upon recognizing the man, exclaimed, "Hey, it's Ein!"

All of the children turned towards Hayate and cried out in pure joy. They rushed over and surrounded him, exclaiming about how much they have missed him. They were all happy that they got to see their mentor again.

As Hitomi watched Hayate and the children, one of the instruction assistants walked up to her and asked, "Is that really Ein, Hitomi?"

She turned to man beside her and nodded. "Yep, it's really him. He's going to help us manage the dojo until my dad gets better and can come back to teach karate again."

"Oh, is that so? Well, it's good to see him again, and that he's helping out while he's here."

"Yeah . . ."

Realizing that they needed to start the lessons, Hitomi clapped her hands loud and shouted out loud, "Alright, everybody! We can do our little catch-ups later! Let's start the lessons!"

* * *

><p>For the next half-hour, Hitomi, Hayate and the instructors led the warm-up. And then they began the lessons, with the teachers showing the students new moves, and set up fights between the students and teachers so that the students could show what they have learned. Throughout everything, Hitomi gave it her all. She performed her kicks and punches with such power that impressed everyone. She wanted to prove to everyone that she could do it. That she could be a leader like her father was. Hayate was the most impressed of all, as he clearly saw that her skills of karate have greatly improved ever since the fourth tournament. He could tell by her display of skill that she was more than strong enough to stand on her own two feet and live her own life. He didn't have to worry about her when he goes back to Japan. But he could still see that something was bothering her, but decided to wait for the right time when she was ready to ask her.<p>

At around noon, they all stopped to take a lunch break. The instruction assistants used this time to ask Hayate about where he has been and what he has been doing. The ninja lightly replied that he went back to Japan and was now living with his family. He didn't give any indications to them about his secret life as a ninja. Hitomi could not understand why ninjas have to live their lives in secret and not reveal their existence to the outside world, but she respected their decisions on how to live out their lives and their customs that they live on. It was then that a question popped inside her head: Why did Hayate openly revealed that he was a ninja to her if no one outside his village was supposed to know? This question lingered in Hitomi's mind as she continued to listen to Hayate's conversations with the other grown-ups.

When lunch was over, Hitomi continued to lead on with the lessons and match-ups until a few hours later, at around 5 p.m., when the lessons ended. After Hitomi finished giving one boy his lesson, he asked her, "Hey, Hitomi? How about you have a match with Ein? I bet that you're dying to show him your mad skills."

The brunette had a surprised look on her face. He wanted to see her in a match with Hayate? She quickly looked towards the ninja, who had heard the boy's request. He was a bit surprised as well. All of a sudden, the children were cheering on for a match. Not only did they want to see Hitomi go all out on a real opponent, but they also wanted to see Hayate's karate skills as well, since they haven't seen him in a real fight for a long time.

One of the instruction assistants spoke up and said, "That's a great idea. We still got some time. Why don't you two have a little, just like old times?"

The two young adults looked at each other with questioned looks on their faces. They haven't thought about it before. They haven't had a duel between each other.

Hitomi gave it some thought and nodded. "Sure, why not? How about you, Ein? Are you up for a little match? Like old times?"

Hayate sighed a little and thought about it, and then replied, "I don't mind. Let's go, Hitomi."

Then they made their way to the match, and the students were cheering them on. As they faced each other, one instruction assistant stood between them as the referee. The two fighters bowed each other and the referee gave them the okay to start the match.

Hitomi quickly dashed towards Hayate, leaped into the air, spun towards her left and delivered a kick with her right leg at his face. He quickly blocked the attack with his wrists, but she kept on attacking him, forcing him to defend himself. After she landed, she delivered a series of punches, mostly targeting his head and chest. Although her attacks were blocked, Hitomi was successfully putting pressure on Hayate and forcing him to a corner. Placing him where she wanted him to be, Hitomi kicked at his ankles, tripping him. As he fell to the floor, she raised her left leg high and then brought it down as fast as she could. However, Hayate quickly rolled away, dodged her attack, and got back up.

As he blocked Hitomi's kicks with his arms, Hayate thought to himself, _Hitomi really has improved with her skills since we last met. She's really showing her hard work in the way she fights. I still see the warrior spirit that she has always had inside of her. Hitomi is really giving it her all in this fight . . . so I should give it my all now as well!_

Suddenly, Hitomi delivered a powerful flying dragon kick at him. But to everyone, Hayate blocked every kick with his arms and made his move by delivering a punch at her face. Hitomi gasped and quickly dodged towards the right, but he kept on attacking her with a combination of punches and kicks. Everyone was astounded. It was as if the battle was in Hayate's favor now. Hitomi tried to counter by delivering a punch in his face with her right hand, but he stopped her by grabbing her knuckles and kicked her in the stomach with his right leg. She was sent flying and she hit the ground hard.

Everyone was stunned at what just happened, but they were even more surprised when Hitomi rolled back up to her feet in a mere second or two. They could not believe it. Hayate had just delivered blow on her body and should have taken some more time to recover. But Hitomi had proved them wrong, showing once again her commitment to her studies in karate. The next thing they knew, the two fighters were swinging kicks at each other and each was dodging the other's attacks.

They both soon realized that they had to end the match quickly. Hayate swung a kick at Hitomi's ankles, but she quickly back flipped, dodging the attack. As she lunged herself into the air, Hayate channeled his energy into his right fist, ready to end the battle with a powerful punch once she was back on the ground. However, as soon as she landed Hitomi quickly brought all of her strength to her own right fist and plunged it at Hayate. Her opponent also launched his right fist at her, pushing his arm with everything he had. Their fists darted past each other, aiming for each other's faces. Their heads tilted to their lefts, dodging each other's punches. All of a sudden, a powerful wave of energy darted out, throwing the spectators back a bit.

Hitomi and Hayate stood in their position for a minute with heavy breaths coming out of their mouths as they panted for air. This was the end of the line for both of them. They gave it their all in this fight and they both had nothing left in them to keep going. The match had ended. Everyone else stood in complete awe. This was by far the most amazing match they had ever seen, and it ended it a draw. Suddenly, the boy, who had requested for the match, slowly clapped his hands. Then his friends around him begin to clap too. Soon, everyone who had been watching began to applause and began to cheer for both Hitomi and Hayate, as they had proven that they were great karate fighters.

As the two of them pulled away from each other, Hayate gave Hitomi a bright smile and big thumbs up, saying, "Well done, Hitomi. I see that you have greatly improved your skills since our last match long ago."

The brunette girl smiled brightly back while she was returning the thumbs up, replying, "You did great too, Ein. I'm glad to see that your moves are still looking sharp as ever."

Then they politely bowed to each other and turned their attention to the crowd. The children immediately surrounded the duo, cheering about how they loved the fight.

* * *

><p><strong>Around 7 p.m., at Hitomi's apartment<strong>

After closing the dojo for the day, Hitomi and Hayate returned to her apartment, tired from a long day's work. The girl then stated to the ninja that she would prepare dinner for both of them and immediately set to work. Hayate told her she didn't have to cook dinner on her own, but she wouldn't listen.

"Hitomi," Hayate said "you don't have to do all of the cooking by yourself. Please, let me do something to help."

He repeated his pleas to the brunette girl to let him help her with preparing dinner. However, she kept on turning down his requests.

"I've told you before, Hayate. You are my friend, but so long as you are here, you are also my guest. As such, I must treat you like a guest. Besides, I'll have dinner ready in no time! Now watch as I show you my awesome cooking skills!"

Hitomi then grabbed a large head of Chinese cabbage, some long negi scallions, a few packages of seared firm tofu, a handful of shiitake mushrooms, and a bowl full of noodles from the refrigerator. Much to Hayate's surprise, she flung them into the air, and then quickly grabbing a kitchen knife, she sliced at all of them in a flash, cutting all of the ingredients into pieces. Then grabbing a huge hot pot, Hitomi caught all of the ingredients without anything spilling on the floor. After placing the pot on the stove, she searched her refrigerator again and grabbed a large piece of thawed meat along with some soy sauce, sugar and mirin from her counter. Tossing the beef, Hitomi quickly grabbed her knife again and sliced the meat into thin slices. They all fell into the pot, and she turned the stove on, letting the contents in the pot become cooked.

After tossing some soy sauce, sugar and mirin into the mixture, Hitomi leapt towards her refrigerator once more and pulled out some dried seaweed, a few different types of raw meat and a couple of small vegetables. Bringing them to her rice cooker, she opened the cooker, and a big puff of steam emerged from within. Hitomi grabbed a big spoon and scooped a big chunk of white rice. Hayate gasped as she tossed it into the air, worried that she was going to spill it, but Hitomi amazed him once again when she grabbed the seaweed and quickly caught the rice with it. In a flash, Hitomi grabbed the meat and veggies and arranged them on top of the rice. Then grabbing a small bamboo mat, she placed it under the seaweed and then rolled it, rolling the seaweed as well. After carefully pulled out the bamboo mat, Hitomi grabbed her knife and sliced the seaweed, creating sushi.

She then sniffed the air, smelling something delicious. Realizing that it was coming from the stove, she quickly went back to her pot and turned the stove hot. After mixing the pot's mixture with a wooden spoon, she quickly grabbed two bowls and filled them with the soup. She then placed them on the counter where Hayate was watching in complete awe. Hitomi smiled, as she was proud of herself for surprising him like that. After placing the sushi on a plate and bringing it to the counter, Hitomi brought two eggs and two small bowls and cracked each egg into each boll. Then she stirred them well with a small spoon, making sure that the yoke and the egg white were mixed well.

Placing a pair of small chopsticks into each boll, Hitomi exclaimed, "Tada! Dinner is served!"

Hayate chuckled a little and gave her a small applause, saying, "My two favorite dishes: sukiyaki and sushi. You remember them well, Hitomi. I must say, that was a pretty good show. But let's see if these dishes are good as well."

Hitomi cheerfully nodded. "Right! Time to eat now!"

They grabbed their chopsticks and started eating their dinner. Hayate grabbed some of his meat, dipped it into his beaten egg, and then brought it into his mouth. After chewing it for a bit, he gulped it down and smiled brightly at Hitomi.

"Wow! This is best prepared sukiyaki I've ever tasted!"

Hitomi chuckled with happiness, glad that he liked it. He then grabbed one sushi, ate it, and gave a big thumbs up to her, declaring that it was also delicious. She smiled, as was even happier than before that he was enjoying the dinner.

As they continued to eat, they exchanged conversations, telling each other stories of what has happened to both of them. Hitomi told Hayate about how her last year in high school has been and how she's been enjoying her independent life, how much more freedom and responsibilities she now has. Hayate told Hitomi of some of his adventures as a ninja, how he's been leading his clan, and some of the intense battles he has experienced. Throughout the dinner, Hitomi was amazed about how open Hayate was to her. The stuff that he told her are things that should not be told to the whole world, for it would expose the Mugen Tenshin clan. But she knew that he trusted her in keeping these stories secret. The very fact that he trusted her made her fall in love in him even more . . . and even more sad that he wouldn't be with her for long. But she did not tell him about her thoughts, as she wanted to keep the air of happiness that they were enjoying with each other. As soon as they were finished, they cleaned up, with Hayate insisting that he helped her. Hitomi did not make any argument. After pulling out Hayate's bed, they exchanged good-nights with each other and Hitomi went to her room.

* * *

><p><strong>Around 11 p.m.<strong>

Hayate lay in bed, shirtless with his jeans still on, but could not sleep. As he looked up to the moving fan above him, he thought about the intense match he had with Hitomi that day.

_Hitomi has been really training hard since I last saw her_, he thought. _She really has been working on perfecting her karate skills. That's pretty impressive. And she's been handling the dojo without her father. Hitomi's only eighteen, yet she's doing the work of a more elderly adult. She has been truly standing on her own two feet for a really long time. That's really amazing, considering all of the responsibilities she now has. Now I know for sure that even when I go back to the village, Hitomi will be just fine . . ._

But suddenly, a tear began to form in his eye. Hayate slowly sat up and touched his wet face.

_Why am I crying? _he thought. _Why do I have feeling of sadness within my heart? What am I supposed to be sad about?_

All of a sudden, an image of Hitomi flashed through the ninja's mind. Her silky light brown hair, her light smooth skin, her cute pink lips and her sky colored eyes; she was very beautiful. Suddenly, Hayate realized why he was sad: he was going to leave the woman he loved. Once he returned home, he would be busy as the leader of his clan, and he would definitely not be able to set aside any time to see her. He would not be able to commit to the girl that rocked his world.

_I . . . I'm in love with Hitomi . . . but I can't be with her . . . There's no way it can work between us. I am the leader of my clan and she's just a normal girl. She lives here in Germany and my home is far away in Japan. A long distance relationship would never work. Damn . . . what should I do?_

Kicking the covers, Hayate made his way to the balcony. He just couldn't stay in bed. He needed to think. He flung the doors open and stepped outside. His red brown hair swayed freely in the air. His brown eyes looked up into the starry night sky. The moon was also in the sky, shining its gentle light upon the young ninja. But no matter how much he looked into the sky, Hayate could not find the answer that he was looking for.

Suddenly, a swirl of green leaves surrounded him, and a man dressed in black appeared beside him. Hayate chuckled, as he knew who it was.

"Ryu, I see that you're doing well."

"I could say the same to you," the black ninja replied. "But it appears that something is really bothering you. It is possible it has to do with your friend?"

"I can't hide anything from you, can I Ryu? Yes, it's Hitomi. I just can't shake her off my mind. I have to admit something to you. I love her."

The dragon ninja did not say anything, and Hayate continued, "That girl truly saved my life. When I was lost, she helped me find my path. I was badly hurt and she healed my wounds. She took me in when I had no place to call home. She has done so much for me. If it weren't for her, I would probably not be here now. The only way I could think of to repay her is to help her with her father's dojo until he's made a full recovery."

"I understand, Hayate," Ryu replied. "I'll watch over the Mugen Tenshin village for you until you've repaid your debt to her."

"That's not the problem, Ryu. It's my feelings for her. I don't know how to deal with them. They're just so strong. But I know that things would never work out between us. I'm the leader of my clan, but she's just an ordinary girl. There's just no way a relationship like that will ever work. This is unbelievable, Ryu . . . Here I am, a super ninja, letting something simple as love ruining my mind, making me lose my focus . . . I just don't know what to do . . ."

The dragon ninja sighed and replied, "I . . . don't have an answer that will help you, Hayate. I'm afraid that you are the only one that you can find the answer to your question."

The shinobi leader gave a chuckle and said, "You're right. Thanks, Ryu. I appreciate it. By the way, how's everyone in the village? Is everything under control?"

"There's no need to worry. Everyone's doing just fine. Even Kasumi and Ayane are getting along as well. Just yesterday, the two of them did a little competition and caught so many fish at the river. Now your family has plenty of food for weeks."

Hayate laughed about them competing. But in truth, he was just so happy that his sisters were finally getting along after settling a feud that has kept them apart for so many years.

"Well, Ryu, thank you for all of your help. Tell everyone that everything's okay here too."

"I will, Hayate."

Suddenly, they heard something behind him. They turned behind, trying to see who it was.

"Hayate, what was that?"

"I don't know. Hold on."

He walked inside to see what it was, but he suddenly heard Hitomi's door closing. There was only one thing he could think of: it was her, listening to their conversation.

He then heard Ryu call out to him, "You find anything, Hayate?"

He returned to the balcony and nodded his head. "It was Hitomi. I don't know how long she was there, but she was listening to our conversation."

"Well, she won't tell anybody of anything she's heard from our conversation. You trust her, right?"

"Yeah. Don't worry about it."

"I must return to the village. Take care, Hayate."

"You too, Ryu."

In a flash, the dragon ninja disappeared in a whirl of green leaves. Hayate entered the apartment, closed the balcony doors behind him. As he lay down on the couch bed, he pondered on how much Hitomi had listened on their conversation. Deciding it would be best not to worry for now, Hayate closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Hitomi covered herself from top to bottom with her navy blue sheets, shocked at what she had just heard.<p>

_Hayate . . . is in love with me?_

* * *

><p>Well, there you have it folks! Gosh, this was one of the longest chapters I have ever written . . .<p> 


	3. What Can I Say?

Hey everyone! Sorry that I took so long! It's just that something went wrong with my laptop and suddenly I can't use it anymore. So everything, including my chapters, were all lost and I had to start again from scratch! I'm so sorry everyone! But don't worry, I got my sister's old laptop, which is still pretty good.

Happy President's Day everyone! Here is my gift to you! Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: What Can I Say?<p>

**The next morning, at 6:30 a.m.**

Hitomi's alarm rang out with such a loud noise that it hurt the poor girl's ears. She groaned as she reached over and turned her alarm off. She then pushed herself up, slowly opened her baby blue eyes, and gave out a very long yawn. The poor brunette haired girl had a hard time sleeping last night after what she had just learned. After Hitomi finished giving out her yawn, she recollected her memories of what happened last night. She wished that she didn't hear that sound she heard and wake up, or else nothing would have happened to her. Why did it happen?

* * *

><p><em><strong>Flashback, last night, around 11:30 p.m.<strong>_

_As Hitomi slept in her bed, she suddenly heard some noises that were coming on the other side of the bedroom door. She slowly opened her eyes and got up. She then tried to listen to the sounds, and realized that they were voices. They weren't really loud, but she could hear them for sure. One of the voices belonged to Hayate without a doubt._

_ "Is Hayate talking to someone?" Hitomi whispered to herself. "Who's he talking to? Why is this person here? And why didn't I hear the doorbell ring?"_

_ As she was asking herself these questions, Hitomi slowly got up from her bed, quietly walked over to her door, and placed her ear on the door. This time, she could hear the voices a little louder than before. Quietly as a mouse, she turned the knob and opened the door. Then she tiptoed to where the sources were coming from, which was the balcony. Hiding behind a tall plant, Hitomi looked at the two figures she could see. Their backs were turned towards her and she could not see very well in the darkness, but she could tell that one of them was Hayate. However, she could not figure out who the person in black clothes was. As she was spying on them, she could hear their conversation._

_Hitomi heard Hayate's voice as he said, __"That's not the problem, Ryu. It's my feelings for her. I don't know how to deal with them. They're just so strong. But I know that things would never work out between us. I'm the leader of my clan, but she's just an ordinary girl. There's just no way a relationship like that will ever work. This is unbelievable, Ryu . . . Here I am, a super ninja, letting something simple as love ruining my mind, making me lose my focus . . . I just don't know what to do . . ."_

_She then heard his companion reply, "I . . . don't have an answer that will help you, Hayate. I'm afraid that you are the only one that you can find the answer to your question."_

_ The girl's eyes widened, for she could not believe what she had just heard. Hayate was in love with her. She was in so much shock that she could not take it anymore. Without even trying to be anonymous and quiet, Hitomi darted for her room and shut her door. She climbed back into bed and covered herself completely with her navy blue sheets. As she laid there, Hitomi's mind kept on ringing with the same question over and over again throughout the night._

_ "Hayate . . . is in love with me?"_

_**End of flashback**_

* * *

><p>That same question still lingered on Hitomi's mind, and it has been bothering her throughout the entire night. But at least she knew how Hayate felt about her, and that he was experiencing the same dilemma she was going through. He knew that if they had a relationship, it would never work. He was the leader of his clan and she was just an ordinary girl. A relationship between them would never work. But what could she do?<p>

_Now that I know about Hayate's feelings for me, what should I do now? _Hitomi thought. _Should I tell him that I love him as well and try to find some way to make our relationship work, or should I try to get over it and move on? I don't know what to tell him . . . What can I say?_

Hitomi turned back to her alarm clock and suddenly realized that she just waited ten minutes losing herself in her thoughts. She had not time to waste, for she and Hayate had to get to the dojo at eight. She quickly got up, hurriedly made her bed, grabbed her clothes and rushed to her bathroom. But then Hitomi slowed down as she looked herself in the mirror, and once again, her mind was filled with thoughts about what she should do now with Hayate. She unbuttoned her shirt and shrugged it off her shoulders, and then pushed down her pants, leaving her with only her black underwear on. As Hitomi looked herself into the mirror again, she brought her hands to her breasts and cupped them.

_I can't get over Hayate at all. I love him so much. I don't want to fall in love with another man. I want to only love him . . . I want to give my body to him alone . . ._

She then moved her left breast over, and her arm covered both of her breasts while her right hand moved down to her navel. She traced a small circle around her belly button before moving down to the top of her underwear. Her fingers slowly pushed their way under the garment and found their way to her soft folds. She pushed them in, drenching them with her fluids, until they found her sensitive bud. She traced circles around it, causing herself to moan.

As she continued to roam her hands on her own body, Hitomi unknowingly lost herself in deep thought again. She suddenly saw herself, lying nude on her bed, but someone who was also naked was on top of her: Hayate. He was kissing her like a mad man while his hands roamed all over her body. His right hand came to her left breast and grasped it, kneading and squeezing it and playing with her nipple. His left hand traveled down to her pussy and gently pushed his fingers inside. Hayate then moved his lips from hers to her neck, then to her chest, and then to her breasts. While his right hand continued to play with her left breast, he sucked on the nipple of her other breast. Hitomi grasped his red-brown hair and moaned his name over and over again, even when he moved his lips to her left breast and sucked on it like he did with her other breast. He then moved down, leaving a trail of kisses on her abdomen and circling his tongue around her navel. He then spread her legs apart and licked the folds of her pussy. Hitomi gasped as Hayate pushed his tongue inside of her and licked her sweet honey. As she arched her back, he moved his left hand under her and cupped her round butt. His right hand then moved up and played her breast. Her voice picked up in volume as his tongue licked at her sensitive bud. He then pressed his lips and sucked on it, causing her to cry out louder and louder. He then lightly raked the sensitive pearl and Hitomi gave out a loud moan before falling limp on her bed. After licking the last of her honey, Hayate moved up back her body and brought his lips to hers again. He then pushed her legs wider and positioned himself in between, ready to insert his penis into her pussy. And then . . .

Suddenly, Hitomi shook her head. How could she be having thoughts like that? She had to hurry and get ready. She quickly grabbed her black bra and snapped it on. Then she pulled up her blue jeans over her legs and put on her black tank top with a yellow eagle over her chest. She quickly brushed her teeth, washed her face, combed her light brown hair and placed her favorite pink headband. She then quickly turned her head to her clock and saw that it was almost 7 a.m.

_Uh-oh! I still gotta make breakfast!_

Hitomi rushed out of her bathroom and hurriedly opened her bedroom door. As soon as she stepped out, a delicious scent came rushing through her nostrils. She could smell sizzling sausages, flavored eggs and fresh pancakes, and it made her stomach girdle and her tongue swirl around her lips. As she came to her kitchen, Hitomi saw that Hayate was cooking at the stove. He was wearing a white apron over his grey long-sleeved shirt and black pants. Sensing that Hitomi was nearby, Hayate turned his head towards her and smiled.

"Good morning, Hitomi. I hope you slept well."

"Uh, yeah, I did. Thanks," she lied. She didn't want to let him know how sleepless she was last night. The last thing she wanted was him getting worried about her and suspicious about what she was doing last night.

Looking at the food he was cooking, she asked, "What are you doing making breakfast? I thought I said that I'll do the cooking."

Hayate calmly replied, "Look Hitomi. I know that I'm your guest here and you're trying to do all that you can to make me at home for as long as I am here. I don't mind that all. But if you do everything by yourself then I'll be sitting around doing absolutely nothing. You've got to let me do at least one thing around here. Besides, I kind of wanted to show you MY mad culinary skills."

Giggling at the joke, Hitomi sighed and nodded. As she sat at the table where two glasses full of orange juices were, Hayate took off the apron and brought two plates full of food to the table. After receiving her plate, Hitomi scooped up a spoonful of the scrambled eggs and blew on it, cooling it off a little. She then took it into her mouth, chewed on it, savored the taste, and swallowed. A bright smile was on her face.

"Mmm! This is so good!"

Hayate nodded. "Thank you. I'm glad you like it."

They continued on with their food and did not say anything anymore, as they were too busy enjoying the delicious taste. But after Hitomi gulped down her orange juice, she decided to ask Hayate about last night.

"So . . . you were talking to your friend Ryu last night?"

Suddenly, Hayate darted his dark brown eyes towards her baby blue ones and gave her a stern look on his face that frightened her. It was like he was suspicious of her.

"Yes, I was. I take it that it was you that was overhearing our conversation?"

All of a sudden, she jumped out of her chair and burst out in panic, "I'm sorry Hayate! I didn't mean to snoop around! I was just hearing voices outside of my room and checked! And then I came near the balcony and heard you and your friend! Oh god! Hayate, I'm so sorry!"

Hayate quickly got up and raised a hand to stop her as he said, "It's alright, Hitomi. Please calm down. I'm not angry at you. I just wanted to know if it was truly you last night. Now tell me, how much did you hear?"

"Uhh . . . I just . . . heard the part about your sister, Kasumi, and Ayane catching fish and your family having fish for dinner for weeks. That's the only thing I heard Hayate! I swear!"

Hitomi's stomach turned a little. She knew that she was lying because she heard Hayate confessing his love for her to his friend. She couldn't imagine what would happen if he found out that she knew about his feelings.

Hayate simply put his hand up to her lips to silence her and said, "Alright, Hitomi. Calm down. I just wanted to know what you have heard. I trust you, Hitomi. I know that you will not tell anyone about what's going on with my clan. I know you will keep my clan's existence a secret. Now come. Let's finish up here and get going. We don't want to be late, right?"

As he pulled away his hand, the brunette girl sighed heavily and nodded. Then they sat down again, finished their breakfast, and were out of the door and heading for the dojo in no time.

* * *

><p><strong>Around 5 p.m., outside the dojo<strong>

Hitomi and Hayate had another long day at the dojo, giving the children their lessons and setting them up against each other for matches. At the end of the day, after everyone else had left, the duo had the place cleaned up and closed down for the day.

As Hitomi fumbled with her keys, trying to find the right one to lock the door, Hayate was next to her and watched her. All of a sudden, his eyes were fixed upon her body, studying every detail and every curve. Her long, slender legs, her curvy hips, her small, slim waist, and her round, perfect bosoms captivated him. If only his hands could roam around every inch of her body. Suddenly, Hayate was overwhelmed with a lustful desire for her.

Hayate wanted Hitomi to be his alone . . .

He could just imagine it in his mind. He wanted to see her completely naked, exposing all of her body to him. Her legs wrapped around his waist; her arms around his neck; her fingers running through his red-brown hair; his hands kneading and cupping her breasts; his lips locked with hers in a fiery and passionate kiss. All of these thoughts were driving through his mind and driving him crazy.

But then, there was her womanhood. That made his mind dizzy from all of the lust. He wanted to lick her folds, dive his mouth into her pussy, smell the aroma of her honey and lick it, and then suck on her sensitive bud, bringing it to full bloom. And then, he wanted to claim her as his own. He wanted to thrust his penis into her pussy, letting her walls surround his length and bury him in her warmth. He wanted to hit that one special spot that will make her cry out in pleasure.

Oh how he wanted to hear her sweet voice, moaning his name over and over again.

"Hayate . . ."

He could already hear her calling out his name in his mind.

"Hayate . . ."

He didn't want her to stop. Just keep moaning his name over and over and . . .

"Hayate!"

Suddenly, Hayate shook his head and realized that he was daydreaming. Hitomi really yelled out with such a loud voice that it almost broke his eardrums. He turned to her and saw that she had a concerned look on her face.

She then told him, "I've been calling out your name for a few times and you didn't respond so I had to yell out to get your attention. Are you okay, Hayate? Is there something bothering you?"

The ninja silently cursed at himself. He was letting his feelings get the better of him.

"Sorry," he quickly replied. "I was thinking of something important and got caught up in my thoughts. Don't worry, Hitomi. Everything's fine now."

The brunette raised an eyebrow, questioning his answer, as she asked, "Really, Hayate? Are you really being honest with me? Are you sure that nothing's wrong?"

"I can assure you, Hitomi," he calmly answered. "Everything's alright. There's no need to worry about anything. If there is something wrong, I will tell you. I promise, alright? Now let's go back."

Hitomi heavily sighed. She knew that there was still something that was bothering him. He couldn't fool her that easily. However, she saw that it was pointless to try and make him talk about it at that point in time. She silently promised herself that she would somehow find out what was bothering him later. Hitomi quietly nodded to Hayate and headed back with him back to her apartment.

* * *

><p>As the two of them walked on the concrete sidewalk, they did not talk to each other. They just continued on strolling through the passing crowd. But both of their minds were filled with thoughts and questions swarming through their heads. Hitomi was trying to figure out what to tell Hayate, questioning if she should inform him that she knew about his feelings for her and that she felt the same way as well. But she was hesitating, afraid about how he'll respond, that he would say that it wouldn't work. Meanwhile, Hayate was struggling on whether he should tell Hitomi that he loved her. He truly wanted to be with her, but he could not abandon his duties as the leader of the Mugen Tenshin clan. He wondered if there was a way he could make it work between them, but he knew that it was impossible for him to find. The two wanted to tell each other about what they're thinking about, but they couldn't. They did not know what to say.<p>

But suddenly, as they turned a corner on the sidewalk, they spotted a little girl that was running up to them and screaming their names at the top of her lungs. Her long, platinum blond hair was in a mess with a ton of tangles. Her aqua eyes were pink and were streaming with tears at their sides. Her light skin was adorned with cuts of blood and bruises that were really dark. She was wearing a white karate gi that was covered with dirt and mud.

"Hitomi! Ein!"

The girl tripped over the sidewalk and fell, but Hayate quickly rushed to her and caught her before she could hit the ground hard. She was heavily breathing as she fought to catch her breath. She was extremely exhausted. Hitomi ran up to her and Hayate, worried about her terrible condition.

"Oh my god! Laura! What happened to you?"

The little girl turned her head towards Hitomi and replied with a very weak voice, "Ralph and I . . . were attacked . . . by these . . . big mean guys . . . in black . . . My big brother . . . fought them off . . . so I could escape . . . Please . . . help Ralph . . ."

Then Laura closed her eyes and lost her conscious. Worried, Hitomi lightly shook her and patted her face, trying to wake her up.

"Laura! Laura! Come on, Laura! Wake up!"

Hayate placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her, and said, "Pease stop, Hitomi. She really needs a lot of rest. Why don't you find her a safe place to recover why I find Ralph?"

Hitomi nodded her head in agreement. "Okay. I'll take her to the hospital."

She then took the little girl from Hayate and held her tightly in her arms. As she headed for the hospital, Hayate ran into the direction Laura came from.

* * *

><p>Running through the streets, the ninja hurried as fast as he could. Ralph was only a few years older than Laura, so he would be too young to face a group of adult thugs on his own. He looked in all directions as he ran, hoping to find the boy, but he didn't, much to his dismay. Hayate could see that the sun was about to set. It was getting dark, and night was the perfect time for any gang to attack anyone. He couldn't imagine what would happen to Ralph if he didn't find him.<p>

As he turned a sharp corner, Hayate heard a boy crying out for help and the sound of kicks and punches. He ran towards the alley where the sounds were coming from and finally found what he was looking for.

Poor little Ralph was lying on the ground and surrounded by thugs all dressed in black. The little blond haired boy tried to cover his stomach, but his attackers kept on kicking at him. His hair, face, hands and feet were all covered with mud and blood from his wounds. His karate gi was all stained with a disgusting brown color. He was in a real mess, worse than Laura's.

Realizing that he had to save the boy, Hayate quickly dashed forward and performed a flying dragon kick, knocking two nearby thugs and sending them flying to the others. They were all knocked away with such a heavy force that the ninja had more than enough time to pull the gang's victim far away to safety.

Ralph slowly opened his blue eyes and saw his mentor. With a very cracked up voice, he called out weakly, "E-Ein . . ."

Hayate pressed a finger to the boy's lips, silencing him as he spoke. "Do not try to speak now. You must rest. Leave these men to me."

Ralph gave a small smile of appreciation and silently closed his eyes. After laying the boy down, Hayate took off his black jacket and placed it on the small body as a blanket. He then turned his attention to the thugs, who were still trying to get up.

As they fully recovered, one thug yelled out, "What the hell's your problem, ass-hole? We don't like it when we get interrupted by some loser like you!"

With a calm voice, the ninja replied, "I should be the one asking you questions. Why are you hurting this boy? What has he done to provoke you into hurting him to the point of death? Whatever reason you give me, know that I will not allow you to hurt him anymore."

Then another thug cried out, "Like we care what ya think, pal! And we ain't gonna tell ya why we're beatin' up that little piece of shit, cuz we have none! We jus wanna have fun beatin' him up! But now since ya mess with our fun, we're gonna bring hell to ya! Get him!"

All at once, the gang ran towards Hayate, who calmly took his stance and readied himself for a fight. One thug ran up to him, throwing a punch in his face. But he quickly stepped to the side and tripped the thug to the ground. He then brought his hand and slammed it really hard on the thug's back, causing his foe to cry out in pain before passing out. Another thug ran up behind him and swirled a kick at him. But Hayate quickly jumped into the air and narrowly dodged the attack. As he landed behind, the thug twirled around to throw a punch. But the ninja quickly punched the thug in the stomach, and then delivered more punches in the chest before sending the thug flying with a fist punch in the face. Suddenly, two thugs with long metal poles came rushing to Hayate on both of his sides. Quickly seeing them, he jumped and did a split kick in the air, hitting his two attackers in the face and sending them flying in both directions. But as he landed, a big thug with huge muscles and arms came up behind and grabbed him. He wrapped around the ninja's arms and prevented him from getting away. As Hayate struggled to break free, another thug slowly came up to him and pulled out a pocket knife. Flicking the blade open, he plunged the weapon at the captive. But Hayate quickly kicked at the thug's hand, sending the knife flying into the air. He then flicked his head back and knocked the big thug, making his captor dizzy and unintentionally setting the ninja free. Hayate quickly twirled and kicked the big thug at the side, knocking him away. The other thug caught his pocket knife and went for Hayate again. But the ninja quickly saw him and dodged the blade. He then grabbed the thug's wrist and twisted it, causing the thug to yell out in pain and drop the weapon.

As he fell to his knees, the thug cried out, "Guys, help me out here!"

But the others were so afraid of Hayate that they all ran away, leaving him the only thug.

"Guys, wait! Don't leave me here!"

Hayate twisted his wrist more, and the thug cried out even louder. The ninja grabbed the thug's shirt with his free hand and brought his captive close to his face, staring with his piercing brown eyes, as he spoke with a threatening voice.

"If you do not want me to break your wrist, then you will answer my question from before. Why were you hurting the boy?"

The thug only replied with unclear sounds, which irritated Hayate and made him turn the wrist even more. Finally, the thug could not take it anymore and shouted, "Our boss! Our boss told us to attack students that were attending that bitch's dojo! Let me go man! My wrist's gonna break off!"

In a heat of fury, Hayate grabbed the thug's shirt with both hands and asked coldly, "When you said 'bitch', who did you mean by that?"

The thug was scared halfway to death as he answered weakly, "H-H-Hit-t-t-tom-m-mi. Our-r-r b-b-boss wa-wa-wanted us t-t-to at-t-t-tack k-ki-kids f-f-from Hitomi's old m-m-man's d-d-d-dojo."

"Why?"

"B-B-B-Boss wanted to-to buy that gi-girl's ol-old m-man's-s-s dojo, b-b-b-but she re-refused. He fi-figured sh-sh-sh-she'd give up i-i-if th-the ki-kids couldn't g-g-g-go to-to the d-dojo any-anymore."

Hayate dropped the thug with such anger in his eyes. _How could someone do something so cruel like that? _he thought. _Who's going after Hitomi's dojo and would do anything to obtain it?_

He then told the thug, "Tell your boss that his tricks won't work on Hitomi at all. She'll never give her father's dojo away, especially to someone cruel like your boss."

The thug quickly got up and ran away as fast as he could. Then Hayate walked over to Ralph, who was still unconscious, and gently picked him up into his arms. He then walked towards the direction of the hospital. Hitomi was there with Laura and he had to get there as soon as he could.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, at the hospital<strong>

Hitomi waited outside Laura's room, sitting on a chair and played with a few strands of her light brown hair. It's been a half-hour since she brought her student to the hospital and she was starting to become worried about a lot of different things. First off, there was Laura, who was in a very bad condition. Then there was Ralph, who was probably in a worse condition than his little sister. And finally, there were the mysterious attackers. Who were they and what did they want? Hitomi just couldn't find the answer, no matter how hard she tried.

Suddenly, she was snapped out of her thoughts when the doors near her were flung open and another cart was being wheeled into the emergency room. She got a glimpse of the patient on the cart and gasped as she realized who it was: Ralph. As she watched the boy being carried away to the ER, she felt a light hand upon her shoulder. She quickly turned around and saw that it was Hayate.

"Ein! What happened to Ralph?"

"He was beaten up badly by the gang that attacked him and his sister. He'll be alright, but right now he's in critical condition. How is Laura?"

"She's alright too. The doctor is just finishing up with her. She'll be okay too. I called their parents and told them the whole thing. They're on their way here now and will be here soon."

"That's good to hear. Hitomi . . . can I ask you something?"

"Um . . . Sure . . . Is there . . . something wrong?"

Hayate gently took her hands and they sat down on the nearby chairs. He then asked her in a really low voice, "Do you know anyone who is trying to take over your father's dojo?"

Hitomi was a bit confused by the question and asked, "Why are you asking that?"

"Because the men who attacked Ralph and Laura were ordered to beat up the students that are attending your father's dojo. Whoever is their boss, he figured that if something happened to them, then the dojo will go out of business and you would have to give it up on behalf of your father. That is why Ralph and Laura were attacked."

Hitomi's sky blue eyes widened with shock. As she looked down upon her trembling hands, questions were running through her head.

_How could this be? How could something cruel as this be happening right now? I don't understand. What's going on? Why is this all happening to me?_

Suddenly, she felt Hayate's hands grabbing her own. She looked and saw him gently rubbing the palms of his hands, massaging them and somewhat easing out all of the tense that were rubbing through hers.

He then asked her, "Are you alright?"

"Um . . . Yeah I'm just . . . a bit confused . . . and scared . . . About your question. There was someone who was trying to make a deal with him buying my dad's dojo. But that was like months ago, like before the fourth DOA Tournament. I remembered that I fearlessly told him no and he backed off, but after that, I never got bugged by him ever again. It was so long ago and it felt so insignificant that I don't remember his name, or even his face."

"I see . . . Well, I guess that we better look out for attacks from those men again, and we better be more prepared than this time."

"But . . . what if they keep on attacking when my dad gets back and you have to leave?"

Hayate grabbed both of Hitomi's hands firmly and straight into her eyes with his. He gave her a look of determination and confidence as he answered, "We'll have them dealt with and brought to justice before my time here in finished and before your father returns. I promise."

She gazed into his eyes and found an unwavering resolve. That brought her some comfort, knowing that he always keeps to his word. However, there was still some doubt within her heart.

They waited for a few minutes until Ralph and Laura's parents finally arrived. After explaining the whole situation, Hitomi and Hayate left the hospital and headed back home, letting the parents check on their children.

* * *

><p><strong>Back at Hitomi's apartment, around 10:30 p.m.<strong>

Hitomi lied in her bed but could not sleep. She just couldn't close her eyes and drift into slumber, not after everything that had just happened a few hours ago.

_Who is this person who's trying to buy Dad's dojo? If only I could remember his face . . . But why is he doing this? And what would happen if Dad found out? I promised him that I would have everything under control, but now there is this chaos that's threatening the dojo. How could I ever face him?_

Seeing that she could not get any rest, Hitomi pushed the covers off of herself and got up. She figured that a little walking around and maybe even a glass of warm milk would help her get sleepy. She just hoped that Hayate wasn't asleep yet.

She quietly tiptoed to her door and slowly opened it. It was almost jet black, but she knew where the kitchen was and headed for it when all of a sudden, she heard a door opened.

Hitomi gave a little yelp as she turned towards the direction of the door and saw a person emerging from within, who suddenly found the light switch and turned it on. When the lights flashed brightly, she saw that it was Hayate.

"Hitomi, what are you doing?" he asked "Is there something wrong?"

She gave out a sigh of relief and placed a hand on her chest as she breathed deeply. She was letting her imagination spook her.

"Nothing's wrong," she replied. "I just thought that you were an intruder or something. I couldn't really sleep, so I decided to get up and walk around a bit to get sleepy."

As she turned to look straight at him, she gasped and turned away with a blushed look on her face. Hayate was only wearing red pants and was rubbing his wet hair with a small towel. Little droplets of water were running down his well-trimmed chest and torso. He had just gotten out of the shower.

Hayate walked up to her and asked, "Are you sure everything's alright Hitomi?"

She turned her head slowly and looked into his eyes. She knew that there was nothing she could hide from him. Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes and she began to sniff. She just couldn't take it anymore. All of a sudden, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her head into his chest. She then started crying, as she could not hold back the emotion of sadness within her anymore.

Hayate was a bit shocked at first at what Hitomi had just done, but then he wrapped one arm around her back and ran the fingers of his hand through her soft, light brown hair with the other arm.

He heard her voice mumbled, "I just don't understand why this all happening . . . *sniff* . . . Why now of all times? . . . *sniff, sniff* . . . I promised Dad that I would have everything under control while he's in the hospital but . . . *sniff* . . . everything's going all wrong . . . *sniff* . . . And the kids . . . *sniff* . . . What if something really bad happens to them? . . . *sniff* . . . It'll be all my fault for not protecting them and their parents will get mad at me then . . . *sniff* . . . I just can't take it anymore!"

Hayate continued to hold Hitomi in his arms as she sobbed and damped his chest with her tears. After a minute or two, her crying became quieter and he pushed her a little bit away to look her into the eyes. He saw longing within her, along with a huge need of comfort.

He then told her with a gentle voice, "It will be alright, Hitomi. No matter what is thrown in your path, you must not give up. We won't let the children get hurt because of one man's selfish desire to take over your father's dojo. And do not worry. We'll have everything under control while your father is recovering. You need to have faith in yourself, Hitomi. I believe in you. I know that you will pull through, because I'm going to make sure that you do."

Slowly, a smile formed on Hitomi's face. She was grateful that Hayate was with her with all of this chaos going on. If he wasn't there with her, she wouldn't know what to do and would have just lost her nerve. He was like her pillar of support.

He then asked her, "Are you feeling better?"

She sheepishly nodded and gave out a yawn. She was starting to get tired.

Hayate chuckled at her a little before he said, "Looks like you're getting tired, now. Well, good night, then."

"Wait, hold on."

"What?"

Hitomi stumbled with her words, as she felt a little bit embarrassed as to what she was going to ask of him. But she found her courage and asked him, "Could you . . . stay with me until I fall asleep? . . . You know, uh, stay by my bed until I'm asleep?"

Hayate was at bit surprised by her request, but then understood that she was still a bit uneasy, so he nodded and replied, "Alright."

He then followed her as she went into her room, and then helped her climb into bed. After making sure that everything was okay, he pulled up a nearby chair and grabbed her hand, rubbing her palm with his thumb.

"Try to sleep now, Hitomi. I'll be here until then."

"Okay . . . Thank you . . . Hayate . . ."

It didn't take long before she finally fell asleep. Hayate then got up and leaned over her. She was truly beautiful when she was asleep.

_If only I could watch her sleep every night,_ he thought. _If only we could be together . . ._

All of a sudden, Hayate found himself leaning his head forward to Hitomi's face. For one split second, he lightly pressed his lips against hers. Realizing what he had just done, Hayate carefully and quietly backed away from the bed and exited her room. After he silently closed the door, he made his way toward the couch bed and flopped himself on it.

He looked at the ceiling, not believing what had just happened. One question was echoing throughout his mind.

_Why did I kiss her?_

He heavily sighed, closed his eyes, and drifted off into peaceful slumber.

* * *

><p>Whew! Well that one took a long time to write! I'll get the next chapter in ASAP. And hopefully there won't be any big problems anymore. Please leave reviews!<p> 


	4. Responsibility

Hey everyone. Sorry that it's been a while since I last updated this story. Things have been happening for the past couple of days and I've been busy because of that. My apologies. Anyways, here's chapter 4. There's a bit of suspense, but no juicy lemons yet. Please be patient.

By the way, anyone surprised that Akira's gonna be in DOA5? I sure am.

Enjoy and leave reviews!

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: Responsibility<p>

Hitomi watched as the students fought each other in matches and Hayate and the instruction assistants gave the children their lessons. Seeing that everyone was at the dojo taking their lessons put her at a little ease. Even Ralph and Laura were there, since they have made a full recovery from the hospital and their parents have allowed them to return for their karate lessons. It was nice and peaceful Friday afternoon. But the brunette couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.

It had been a week since Ralph and Laura were attacked by the gang of thugs. After Hitomi and Hayate rescued the children, they have not received any report of another attack on any of the students. But Ralph and Laura's parents were still afraid that their kids will be attacked, so they called the police to investigate. Much to their surprise, the thugs were nowhere to be found. The police have looked everywhere, but they did not find any clue about the gang's whereabouts. It was as if they have vanished without a trace. To make matters worse, the police could not find any clue about the gang's boss. They have interviewed their list of suspects, but have found nothing and no one was the leader. None of them could even provide any information. The police did not give up, but the investigation was going nowhere.

As she watched everyone with her sky blue eyes, Hitomi was deep in thought. _Why can't I shake this bad feeling that something's wrong here? Everything just seems too quiet. Why have the thugs stop to attack the students? If Hayate was telling me the truth while we were at the hospital, then there should have been more attacks on the kids. Is there something going on within their gang?_

She then tried to picture their mysterious leader. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not remember his face. It had been a very long time since he came to make her sell the dojo, and he didn't really seem to be a big threat. But it would appear that he's attacking the dojo, this time with real physical force.

_If I don't find out who he is and stop him, then things will get real ugly. Who is he, and why had he decided to try to buy my dojo again? If only I could remember his face . . ._

Suddenly, Hitomi's thoughts were interrupted when a little girl pulled on her gi and pleaded, "Hitomi! Can I have my lesson now? Please?"

The brunette girl looked down and answered with a smile, "Okay, sure. Let's get started."

As she set off with the girl to begin the lesson, Hitomi whispered a silent prayer to herself, _Please don't let anything bad happen to anyone . . ._

* * *

><p><strong>Around 5:30 p.m., out on the streets<strong>

After yet another long day at the dojo, Hitomi and Hayate closed it down for the day and were walking through the streets. So far, the day went smoothly, but the girl was still troubled by the fact that something bad might happen. She just couldn't shake off the bad feeling that was deep inside of her.

Sensing that she was a bit uneasy, Hayate asked her, "Hey Hitomi, do you want to go out somewhere tonight?"

When she heard his question, she immediately snapped out of her thoughts and turned to him, asking, "Huh? Go out somewhere? Why do you ask me that?"

"Well, you seem like you have a lot going on in your mind. Are you?"

"Uhh . . . Yeah . . . I guess I would be lying if I said I was alright."

"You're still worried about the children?"

Hitomi stopped dead in her tracks and hanged her head in shame. Hayate ceased walking and saw how depressed she had become. Slowly, she nodded her head as she spoke, "I am. And it's not just the children I'm worried about. It's everything. The dojo, that gang, their mysterious boss . . . I'm just worried about everything right now. And right now, I can't see clearly how things are going to be in the future. I promised Dad that I will have everything under control while he's in the hospital, but I don't. It's all in chaos right now . . ."

All of a sudden, Hayate stepped up to her and hugged her tightly. She was shocked, wondering why he was doing it. As he stroked her light brown hair, he said to her, "I've told you before, Hitomi, you must have faith in yourself. You will get through all of this chaos as long as you do not give up, no matter what happens. I know you will because I have faith in you. So please, Hitomi, do not give up."

After he pulled away, Hitomi looked up to him with tears forming at the sides of her baby blue eyes. She slowly nodded her head again, knowing he was right.

He then asked her again, "So . . . do you want to go somewhere before we head back?"

After quickly wiping her tears, Hitomi answered with a smile, "Yeah. Actually, there's this awesome pastry restaurant that has delicious cakes and stuff. I haven't been there in a while, so I kind of wanted to go back there."

Glad to see her smile, Hayate nodded and replied, "Alright. That sounds good."

* * *

><p><strong>An hour later, at a pastry restaurant<strong>

The two of them were enjoying dinner, and slowly, Hitomi was back to bubbly and cheerful self, much to Hayate's relief. As they were eating, they were telling each other stories that they haven't told each other before about their personal lives. Of course, Hayate had to be careful not to say anything about his clan, or else some stranger might overhear and his secrets might be exposed to the outside world. He dare not think of what would happen if the leaders found out.

For desert, they had chocolate sachertorte, with was Hitomi's favorite pastry. When she was eating the cake, she couldn't hold back her joy of savoring the desert in her mouth and gave out a funny smile, which made Hayate chuckle a little when he saw her face. She blushed and continued on finishing her desert, ashamed at herself for letting him see her goof off a bit. However, Hitomi forgot that Hayate did not mind her being silly, since she was just being herself.

However, after Hitomi finished her cake and cleaned her lips with a napkin, her worries of the future began to haunt her mind again. She looked up at Hayate, who was already finished and waiting for her to be done. As if he was reading her mind, he asked her, "You're still worried?"

With a heavy sigh, she silently nodded. "I'm still worried about everything. I mean, I know that you're here and you'll help me get through these hard times, but I'm afraid that my dad will-"

Suddenly, they heard a cell phone ring from Hitomi's bag. The brunette groaned as she reached over and pulled out her cell from her bag. After pressing the "Send" button, she brought it to her ear and asked, "Hello?"

"Hitomi, is this you?"

"Yes it is. Who is this?"

"This is Dr. Walden. I have some good news about your father."

"Yeah?"

"We've managed to cure your father with a procedure we've just performed on him. However, he still needs two weeks' worth of rest here. Therefore, he'll be out of the hospital, just like we've planned. Don't worry about him. Your father is doing just fine. He's just resting right now as we speak."

"Is that so? Well, can I come over and visit him?"

"Of course you can, as long as you don't disturb him from his sleep. Just come in as quietly as you can, okay?"

`"Alright. Thank you, Dr. Walden."

She then pressed the END button and hung up. She looked straight at Hayate and said, "It was Dr. Walden. He just informed me that my dad's illness has been cured. They've performed a successful operation on him. But he still needs to stay in the hospital and rest for two weeks."

The ninja nodded with a smile and replied, "That's good to hear."

"Yeah . . . Umm . . . Ein? Is it alright . . . if I go visit my dad . . . by myself?"

"Is there something wrong?"

"Well . . . there's something that . . . I need to talk about . . . with him . . . alone . . . So is it alright if you go back to my apartment by yourself and wait for me?"

"Of course, Hitomi. I don't mind."

Hitomi nodded and gave him her keys. After paying the bill, the two of them went on their ways.

* * *

><p><strong>Later, in front of Hitomi's apartment<strong>

As Hayate searched through Hitomi's keychain for her door key, he couldn't help but remember the sadness on Hitomi's face when she left to go see her father.

_She seems a bit worried,_ he thought. _Is she afraid that he will think that_ _she's not responsible to handle everything in his absence? Why would she be afraid of something like that? Does she not realize that she's more than able to handle everything by herself? Oh Hitomi, I sometimes think that you worry too much . . . If only I can tell her that, but she would still be worried._

After a long search, Hayate finally found the door key and inserted it into the door handle. He twisted the key, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. But he was still lost in deep thought.

_I just don't understand why she's so worried about something like her father's thoughts. I guess she wants to go beyond his expectations for her. Plus, we still are uncertain about who is trying to force Hitomi into selling her father's dojo. I'm only helping Hitomi, so I guess that it would be natural for her to feel pressured . . . If only I can-_

All of a sudden, Hayate felt a strong hand wrapping around him from behind, locking him in a tight grip. He tried to break free with all of his strength, but it was no use. Then suddenly, a cloth was placed on top of his nose and mouth. As he inhaled, he suddenly realized that it was drugged.

_Oh no! It's ether! I've got . . . to . . . break . . . free . . . _

Hayate lost consciousness and was dropped to the floor. As he lied on the ground, a few shadows hovered over him. A voice then said, "Well done. Let's bring him back, shall we?"

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, at the hospital<strong>

As Hitomi stood outside her father's room, she took in a deep breath. She was preparing herself for what she had to do.

_I have to tell Dad about what has been going on. I can't just hide from him about what has been going on with the dojo. The least I can do is to tell him. I have to get rid of this uneasy feeling that has been welling up inside of me. I just hope that Dad won't be disappointed in me. Well, he goes nothing._

She then gripped the handle, turned it, opened the door, and stepped inside. When she entered, she saw an old man in a doctor's coat standing next to her father's bed. Hearing her come in, he turned around and smiled.

"Hello, Hitomi. It's good to see you again."

The brunette nodded and replied, "Hi, Dr. Walden. How's my father doing?"

"He's doing just fine. Please try to keep your voice down. He just started taking his nap."

"Oh, okay . . . Sorry."

Suddenly, they heard a weak voice coming from behind Dr. Walden saying, "It's alright for you to talk, Hitomi. I don't feel like sleeping now."

The two of them turned their attention towards Hitomi's father, who was clearly and fully awake.

The old man in bed then asked the doctor, "Could I speak with my daughter in private, please?"

The doctor nodded and replied, "Of course. I'll be outside at the desk if there's anything you need. Just call me and let me know."

He then headed for the door and exited the room, gently closing the door behind him.

There was a brief moment of silence. Hitomi just couldn't find the words that she needed to tell him what she had to say. But she knew that she had to speak up.

"Um . . . Dad . . . there's . . . um . . . something that I . . . actually need to . . . talk to you about."

"Does it have to do anything with those thugs that attacked Ralph and Laura?"

Hitomi looked at her father with her baby blue eyes widened in shock. He somehow knew about the attack on the children, but she couldn't figure out how he did.

"Dad . . . how did you . . .?"

"Ralph and Laura's parents told me when they were checking on their children while they were in the hospital. They felt that they should let me know what was going on and how things are going."

"I see . . . I'm sorry Dad . . ."

"Sorry for what? Hitomi, sweetie, it's alright. You're doing your best to-"

Suddenly, the girl exclaimed, "It's not alright! I gave you my word that I would take care of everything and make sure that nothing goes wrong! I didn't want you to worry about everything! I wanted to show you and prove to you that I'm responsible and can handle everything on my own without your help! I wanted you to just focus on getting better and not get concerned about what's going on with the dojo! But I failed! Everything's just going wrong and I'm having a hard time fixing it without your help! The students' parents are getting worried about their children's safety! We don't know if that gang will attack another child! And now you know what's going on! I failed! I FAILED!"

Suddenly, Hitomi dropped to her knees at the side of her father's bed and cried. Her head was on her father's lap and her tears began to make his blanket wet. Her voice was very high-pitched and she kept on sobbing and sobbing. The only thing her father could do was to place his hands on her head and pat it gently as she continued to cry. He did not stop her because he wanted her to let out all of her tears and sadness first before he said anything.

After a long time, Hitomi's crying became quieter and softer. Then her father told her, "It's alright, Hitomi. You have already proven to me that you are responsible in handling hard situations like this."

The girl lifted her head and looked at her father with a confused look on her face. Her entire face was bright pink, her eyes were still wet from her crying, and her cheeks were very damp from the strands of her tears.

Hitomi then asked her father, "How was I . . . responsible?"

He replied, "When I was first admitted into the hospital, you took on the responsibility of handling the dojo during my absence. I never really taught you how to do, but I could tell that you already knew how because you've watched and studied how I've ran the dojo before. I knew that you were ready to take on the challenge of running the dojo on your own. Despite all of the financial troubles that were hurting the dojo, you were the one who kept it alive and going. Also, I've watched you for all of your life, and all during that time, I've seen you grown into a responsible and independent young woman. When you left home to live on your own, I allowed you to leave because I trusted you, which I still do. I've seen you overcome hard obstacles that were in your path. And I can tell you, Hitomi, this situation is no different. I believe in you, Hitomi."

Then he wiped the tears from his daughter's eyes as he continued, "Stop worrying about my reaction towards this problem. Just do what you know what needs to be done to protect the dojo and our students. I know that you can do it, and I know that you will do it."

A small smile slowly began to form on Hitomi's face. She got up and hugged her father, whispering into his ear, "Thank you, Dad."

Her father smiled and returned the hug, silently praying that she would make it through.

After making sure everything was okay, her father went back to sleep. Hitomi quietly slipped out, told Dr. Walden that everything was alright, and left the hospital, relieved that she didn't have to overwork to live up to her father's expectations.

* * *

><p><strong>Back at Hitomi's apartment<strong>

As the brunette climbed up the stairs to her room, Hitomi thought about how she was going to handle the thugs and their mysterious boss. The police had been doing all they could to solve this case, but she knew that it was up to both her and Hayate to step up and help.

_Everyone's counting on me to do this, _she thought. _They all have their faith in me, especially Dad . . . and Hayate. I have both Hayate's faith and help, so there's no way I cannot fail and-_

Hitomi's thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she saw her door open from where she was standing. She was utterly confused at why it wasn't closed. She knew that Hayate was not careless and would not leave a room door opened.

_That's odd . . . Why didn't Hayate close the door?_

As she walked up to the door, she gasped as she looked into her living room. It was a total mess. Foods and paper scraps were all over the floor, the dining table and its chairs were knocked over, and although her windows were not broken, their curtains were torn off.

_ What . . . What happened here?_

Suddenly, she saw a note on her counter. She rushed over and picked up the piece of paper and read what was written on it.

_If you want to see your friend alive, then come to the central park and bring the contract for your father's dojo. If you fail to come by 9:30 p.m., then we're going to send your friend on a one-way trip to hell. You better hurry._

Hitomi dropped the letter in total shock. Hayate was captured by those thugs.

_NO . . . HAYATE!_

* * *

><p>Will Hayate be alright? Will Hitomi find him? Will the dojo be safe from harm? Will they be able to confess their love for each other before it's too late? Find out when the next chapter comes up.<p> 


	5. Storm

Hey everyone. I've got a couple days off, so I was able to get another chapter uploaded. Hopefully, I will be able to get at least one more in before my break is over. Please enjoy, and as always, leave a review when you're done.

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Storm<p>

It was pouring rain outside on the streets. Everyone was completely surprised by the sudden coming of the storm. One moment, the night sky was clear with beautiful stars, but the next thing they knew it, clouds rolled in and it began to pour. Everyone quickly rushed inside, taking any place they could find as shelter from the rain. But there was one person who did not take cover from the rain.

Hitomi ran as fast as she could through the streets, no matter how much water stood in her way. The rain that was coming down on her soaked her to the bone, but that didn't stop her and she kept on running. Water puddles splashed as her feet stomped down on them, dampening her body even more, but she continued onward. She could not afford to stop, no matter what reason.

As soon as she finished reading the ransom note that Hayate's captors left for her to read, Hitomi ran out of her apartment and headed for the central park. She didn't even bother looking for the contracts for her father's dojo. All she could think about was Hayate's safety.

_I've got to find Hayate! I must find him! _she thought. That was the only thought that was rushing through her mind. She had to find Hayate and make sure that he was safe.

It took her a long time, but Hitomi eventually found herself at the entrance of the central park. Suddenly, she heard the chiming of the local clock tower. It rang nine times and she knew that it was nine o'clock. She only had thirty minutes left to find Hayate and save him from his captors.

_Hayate . . . please hold on . . . I'm going to save you! I promise!_

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, inside the central park<strong>

Cold water was splashed on Hayate's face, and the ninja was woken from his slumber. He tried to move, but he soon realized that it was impossible to do, for his hands and feet were tied with some sort of rope with his wrists at his back. He was sitting on some sort of bench, and he felt strong hands holding him in place at his shoulders. It was nighttime and Hayate's vision was only provided by the streetlights, so he couldn't see very well. But he could clearly feel the rain pouring from the sky. It was quite the storm. Although he couldn't see well through the darkness, he saw that he was surrounded by at least a dozen men. He was clearly in a very bad situation.

Suddenly, he heard a voice saying, "I hope you had a very nice sleep, my dear friend."

A man then approached him. He was holding an umbrella, so Hayate couldn't clearly see his face. But he could make out that the man was wearing an elegant white suit with a black shirt and a white tie underneath. He was also wearing glasses, but the ninja couldn't tell what the colors of his hair and eyes were.

The man continued, "I do apologize for how rough my men were in handling you, but we knew that you would be a bit rough, so I had to have you knocked out unconscious."

Hayate smirked and asked, "I suppose that you're the leader of those thugs, right? Who are you?"

"My men are not thugs," the man replied. "And I do not give my real name to any lowlife like you. To most people, I just go by the name of Alpha Wolf. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"I take it that you're the one who's trying to steal the dojo from Hitomi's father, right?"

"I'm not trying to steal it. I plan on buying it. But with that little bitch being so stubborn, I just have to force her into a situation where she has to sell it to me. My men have been spying on her, and they have seen that she has quite the special bond with you. If anything were to happen to you, she would do anything in her power to keep you safe from harm. That is why I had you kidnapped: so that she would give me the dojo in exchange for your safety."

Suddenly, Hayate responded with a really low voice, saying, "Hitomi would never resort to something like that for my safety. I know her. She would not lose her conscious and force herself to hand over the dojo to you. I don't know why you want it so badly, but I don't care. Whatever reason you have doesn't matter. I can guarantee that no matter what you do, you won't get what you want."

There was a brief moment of silence before Alpha Wolf replied, "We'll see about that my friend."

"I'm not your friend. And one other thing: don't call Hitomi a bitch. You'll regret it if you dare call her that ever again."

All of a sudden, a voice cried out from a distance, "Ein! Ein! EIN!"

Before Hayate knew it, Hitomi emerged from the darkness and stopped, panting for as much air as she could take in. After she recollected herself, Hitomi looked around and saw that she was surrounded by many thugs.

Alpha Wolf then called out, "Ah, Hitomi. It's been a while, has it not? I'm glad to see that you're doing well."

Hitomi's eyes widened in shock. The man that was standing in front of her was the one that was trying to but her father's dojo. She could not see his face in the dark, but she knew that it was him.

The brunette shook her head, reminding herself in her mind of the reason why she was there.

"Let go of Ein right now!"

"Of course I will. But first, I want that contract for the dojo please."

"I didn't bring it! I'm not going to hand over the dojo to you, no matter what your reason is! I'm going to save my friend without making such a sacrifice!"

"Is that so? Gamma, would you please check her?"

Suddenly, Hitomi felt a strong hand gripping her arm. She tried to turn to punch the thug in the face, but he proved to be too much for her and her dragged her to the ground. She then felt a huge body on top of her, and then the man's palms began roaming her body, looking for the contract. Hitomi tried to free herself, but it was no use, and could only cry and scream as the man continued to inappropriately touch her, especially at her breasts.

Hayate watched in horror as Hitomi was molested. In anger, he yelled, "Stop! Leave her alone!"

Alpha Wolf replied, "Not until Gamma finds the contract I need. Well, Gamma? Have you found it yet?"

When the thug stopped, he turned his head towards his boss and shook it. "It's not with her."

"Oh well. I guess we'll have to research her place then. Gamma, have some of the boys kill this friend of Hitomi's, would you?"

"And the girl?"

"Kill her too. But why don't you have a little fun with her first? I'm sure you're just dying to rape her before you take her life. I'll head over to her apartment and begin searching."

"Understood."

As Alpha Wolf began to leave and headed for his car, some of the men began to approach Hayate as they drew out their weapons of metal bars, wooden clubs, and pocket knives. The man that was holding Hayate down on the bench drew out his own knife and held it at the ninja's throat. Meanwhile, Gamma grasped one of Hitomi's breasts and clenched his fingers at her womanhood. She was wearing jeans, but she could feel his nails through her clothing. She hissed in pain and tears began to form in her eyes. She could not believe that she was about to be raped and killed.

Hayate soon found himself closed in as the men moved in on him. The man holding him pressed his blade further into the ninja's tan skin, creating a small stream of blood coming out of his neck. His death was almost near. The thugs raised their weapons, ready to kill him.

The ninja thought to himself, _This isn't good at all. If only I wasn't pretending to be Ein, Hitomi and I could be out of this right now. What am I going to do?_

But all of a sudden, he could hear the sound of a small weapon being thrown. Before anyone knew it, a kunai was at the back of the neck of the one who had Hayate by the throat. The thug groaned out in pain before he drew his last breath and fell to the ground dead, letting go of the ninja's neck. Everyone looked in horror, trying to figure out what just happened.

As Hayate looked at the kunai, he wondered, _Is someone here, watching us from afar?_

Then suddenly, a swirl of pink little flower petals appeared, scattering through the wind, Hayate sighed to himself, knowing what those petals were.

_Cherry blossoms . . . The sakura . . . That could only mean one thing . . . _

Suddenly, two more kunai were thrown at the ties at his hands and feet. The ropes were cut and he was freed. The thugs were stunned at how this happen. Before they knew it, Hayate quickly got up began attacking them. He ran up to one thug and punched him in the stomach and the face, smacking him to the ground afterwards. He then grabbed the metal pole the thug was holding and then began fighting the thugs that were surrounding him.

From afar, Gamma watched in shock as the thugs were being beaten up by Hayate. Turning his attention back to Hitomi, he pulled out a combat knife from his pocket and held it at her neck.

"I guess I have no time with playing with you. I'm just going to have to kill you now."

As he brought his weapon over his head, ready to stab her in the chest, Hitomi closed her teary eyes, not believing that this was happening to her.

_No! I don't want to die!_

Suddenly, she heard him cry out in pain and felt him rolling off of her. Opening her eyes and turning her head, Hitomi quickly saw that a kunai was thrown at his hands and was screaming at the top of his lungs. She quickly moved away and got up as fast as she could. She just couldn't understand what was going on. How was that small weapon thrown at his hands? Who threw it and saved her?

All of a sudden, thugs approached her from behind and readied themselves to strike her down. But before they could hit her, Hayate jumped in between them and her and swung the pole, sending them flying. Hitomi quickly turned around and gasped in confusion at what just happened. Before she could do anything, Hayate quickly grabbed her and brought her to some nearby bushes.

"Stay here," he ordered her.

Before she could say anything, Hayate quickly rushed back into the open, continuing his fight against the thugs. They didn't stand a chance against him, as the ninja was swinging and knocking them away, and kicking and punching them until they were unconscious. No matter how big their numbers were, Hayate fought and defeated them easily.

As he was fighting, Hitomi watched in amazement. From the way he was fighting, she could easily tell that he was not using any karate techniques against his opponents. He was using his own ninjustu.

_Amazing . . . I knew that he was strong, but . . . I didn't know that he could be THIS strong. Such power . . . So this is his power as a ninja . . . He's just . . . so awesome!_

After a long and hard fought battle, all of the thugs gave up and ran away as fast as they could into the darkness, limping in pain as they dragged their own bodies away. Hayate returned to Hitomi in one piece. She hugged him, glad that he was okay.

"You had me a bit worried."

"Sorry, Hitomi. You don't have to worry about anything now. Everything's fine now."

"Yeah . . ."

Suddenly, Hitomi remembered Alpha Wolf and pulled away from Hayate and looked around, searching for the thugs' boss.

"Where's Alpha Wolf?"

Hayate scanned the area with his own piercing eyes, but could not find the bastard anywhere either. He had disappeared.

"I'm not sure. But let's head back. We don't want to get caught like this by anyone, especially in the rain."

Hitomi nodded, and the two of them ran as fast as they could from the park, eager to get home.

Elsewhere, a black car zoomed through the heavy rainfall. Alpha Wolf was in the back while one of his own thugs drove the vehicle. He had to get away as soon as possible to avoid getting caught by the police, for that was the last thing he wanted to do.

_This is most unfortunate. I don't know how, but those two obviously have some friends in the shadows. I'm going to have to be careful from now on._

He then called out to his driver, "Let's go home. I need the whole pack together and rethink my plan."

"Yes sir."

* * *

><p><strong>About an hour later, at Hitomi's apartment<strong>

When Hitomi and Hayate reached their apartment, they immediately washed up and had dry clothes on in no time. Then they cleaned up the mess that was left behind by the thugs. Fortunately for them, the damage was not severe, since there were only a few messes on the floor, there were only a few broken items, and luckily there were no broken glass windows. By the time they were nearly finished, the storm had stopped, and the skies were cleared of clouds, revealing a starry night.

As they were putting up the last of the chairs, Hitomi said with a smile, "I guess that's everything. I'm glad that there's no serious damage."

"Yeah," Hayate replied. "It seems that you have some luck, Hitomi."

"I guess so." Suddenly, her smile faded as she continued, "But those thugs might be back again, and who knows what Alpha Wolf is going to make them do."

"Don't worry. No matter what that man does, it will not work. He and his thugs will be brought to justice. I promise you. No harm will come to you, the dojo, its students, or anyone you care about. I'll make sure of that."

"Hayate . . ."

"You look pretty tired. Why don't you go lie down now?"

"Okay . . . Good night, Hayate . . . and thank you . . . for saving my life."

"Of course, Hitomi. You're my friend, and I care so much for you. So you're welcome."

The brunette nodded and headed for her room. But suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks, leaving Hayate a bit confused.

"Hitomi?"

Before he knew it, she ran up to him and hugged him tightly. She buried her face deep into his masculine chest and cried, dampening his white shirt with her tears. He didn't know what to do, and could only hold her in his arms as she continue to cry.

After a long time, he could hear her muffled voice saying, "I thought I was going to lose you."

Hayate patted her light brown hair, replying, "You're not going to lose me, Hitomi."

She looked up to him with tears in her baby blue eyes. A smile slowly formed on her cute face. Then all of a sudden, she moved up her face and kissed Hayate on the cheek. As she pulled back, her smile became wider.

"Thank you . . . Hayate."

Then she back away and returned to her room, slowly closing the door behind her. She flung herself on the bed, not believing what she had just done.

_Why did I . . . just kissed him on the face? Oh god, I'm letting my feelings get the best of me again. I'm in such a mess._

* * *

><p>Hayate just stood where he was, still surprised at what just happened. He'd never imagined that Hitomi would actually do something like that. Kissing him on the cheek really surprised him.<p>

Suddenly, cherry blossom petals blew before him, dancing from the wind from an open window. As they landed on the ground, Hayate looked at them and smirked.

"I guess I owe you one . . . Kasumi."

Then in an instance, a whirlpool of sakura petals came forth and danced in the air, before suddenly, a beautiful girl appeared before him. She had long copper hair tied in a ponytail by a yellow ribbon, light fair skin, and shining brown eyes. She was wearing a revealing blue ninja dress with long white stockings and blue arm and leg gauntlets. Tied to her back was a wakizashi sword.

She replied with a soft and gentle voice, "That's what siblings do, Brother. They look out for each other."

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be helping Ryu in watching over the village?"

"Hayabusa wanted to check on you and see that you were alright. He was going to go, but I insisted that I go this time, since he went before on the night after you left the village. It was really hard to convince to let me go, but I kept on bugging him until he finally gave up and changed his mind. And it's a good thing I arrived when I did. I found you and your friend captured back at that park by those thugs. They were about to kill you, so I had to do something to save you. I knew that you are a capable fighter and could handle a number of your men on your own, so that's why I stayed in the shadows and let you do the fighting. Of course, your friend was about to be stabbed to death, and you were busy fighting the thugs, so I had to protect her too. How is she? Is everything alright now?"

"Yes. Hitomi's doing just fine. She and I would have been dead if you haven't set me free and saved her. Thank you, Kasumi."

"Your welcome, Brother . . . Listen, about that band of men that attacked you . . . They seem pretty dangerous to deal with. Do you want me to stop them?"

Hayate shook his head as he replied. "No, Kasumi. I appreciate your offer, but this is something that Hitomi must do. She must prove to her father that she is capable of handling situations like this without his help, which is something that I must help her with. So please don't interfere. She and I can handle this."

"I understand. Just promise me that you'll be careful, alright?"

"Of course I will, Kasumi. I promise."

"Good . . . Listen, Hayate . . . Hayabusa has told me about your feelings for Hitomi. I'm not going to do anything or interfere with your relationship. I don't even have a solution for your problem. But whatever you do, I pray that you'll do the right thing, one that both you and Hitomi will not regret in the future, alright?"

"Don't worry. I know that I'll think of something."

Kasumi nodded, and then headed for the balcony, opening the double doors before looking back at her older brother.

"I must go now. I promised Hayabusa that I would be back as soon as I can. Take care, Brother."

Hayate nodded and replied, "You too, Kasumi."

She nodded, and in an instant, she disappeared, leaving behind scattered cherry blossom petals from where she was standing. Hayate then walked up to the balcony and closed the doors, silently thanking the gods that he allowed Kasumi to return home to the village, realizing how much he had missed her. He then made his way to the couch bed and lay down on it.

Before he drifted into slumber, Hayate thought to himself, _Alpha Wolf and his gang of thugs will be brought to justice. I will make sure of that._

He then closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Well there you have it folks. So how will Hitomi and Hayate deal with Alpha Wolf and his thugs? And will our two heroes admit their feelings for each other? Stay tune for the next chapter to find out!<p> 


	6. A Snake's Deadly Bite

Hey guys. I finally got my next chapter up, but it took longer than I thought. Sorry if I made anyone wait. Things have been happening and they have prevented me from uploading this chapter. Gosh, life can be so hard. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: A Snake's Deadly Bite<p>

The morning after the fight, civilians found the body of the dead thug. The police were called in to investigate, but they had found nothing besides the name of the victim, where he was from, and that he had no known job. Surprisingly, the police found no document or clue that revealed the victim's family or friends. It was as if he was all alone. As for the cause of his death, the police had no clue who owned the weapon. They investigated all of the Japanese antique stores that were in the area, but every owner denied having that kunai. Hayate revealed to Hitomi that the one who did it was Kasumi. For his sister's safety, the ninja made the brunette promise him not to tell anyone about what happened that night. Hitomi promised him and faithfully kept her mouth shut. As the days passed, the media concerning the thug's death gradually diminished and everything returned to normal.

It had been a full week since Alpha Wolf and his gang attacked Hitomi and Hayate. On another nice and peaceful Friday morning, Hitomi woke up early and wide awake after a joyful sleep. After a nice and refreshing hot shower, she quickly put on her clothes and swiftly did her face. Her outfit this time was a tan leather crop top and blue stonewash jeans, complete with a brown belt and red-and-black protective gloves.

As Hitomi looked at herself in her mirror, she said to herself with a smile, "Just take it easy, Hitomi. No matter what Alpha Wolf throws in your way, stay strong."

Then she headed out of her bedroom, ready for a new day. But then she saw Hayate, who was sitting on the couch with his legs crossed on the cushion and his eyes closed, lost in some sort of deep thought.

Wondering what was going on, Hitomi called, "Hayate, are you OK?"

Breaking from his deep thought, the ninja turned to her and replied, "Oh, morning Hitomi. Don't worry, everything's fine. I was just doing some meditation."

"Meditation, huh? You do this every day?"

"Yes. It helps me in keeping myself calm. For a ninja like me, anything can happen to me, so I have to prepare myself for whatever happens. Plus, when I'm feeling a little stressed, meditation can ease a bit of my stress."

"You're feeling a little stressed today?"

"Yes . . . "

"You are? Why is that? What's wrong? Is there something that's bothering you, Hayate?"

The ninja turned his head towards the brunette with a sad look on his face. She looked into his dark brown eyes and saw such great depression inside. He then answered with a very low and sad voice, saying, "You do realize that I only have one week left, right? After this next week is over, I have to return to my village. We only have a short amount of time left to be with each other Hitomi . . . After this, we might not see each other again . . ."

All of a sudden, a frown formed on Hitomi's face, and her sky blue eyes lost their sparkle. She knew that Hayate was right. They didn't have much time left. Her father would be out of the hospital and running the dojo again, which means that Hayate must return to his village. The promise that he made to Hitomi's father to keep the dojo well and safe from any harm was about to be fulfilled. They were running out of time.

"I know . . . I guess we have to make use of our time then, right? I mean, if this is going to be the last time together, then we should make these last days memorable."

"Yeah . . . Well, we should get going then, right?"

"Yep. Let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>A few hours later, at the dojo<strong>

"Okay, Ralph. Just do what I do. Watch this."

Hayate was giving the young boy his lesson using a human dummy. Ralph watched carefully as his teacher showed him how to attack it. Hayate did some fast punches on the dummy at different places before delivering a final blow at the dummy's chest, causing it to lean back before it came up again. Ralph looked on with amazement as Hayate showed him the moves. For the boy, his teacher was so awesome.

"Alright, that's how you do it. Your turn."

The boy nodded and stepped up to the dummy. Taking his stance, Ralph delivered a series of blows, just like how Hayate did it. His teacher was really impressed. The boy was a really fast learner.

After delivering the final blow on the dummy, Ralph turned to Hayate and asked, "Well, sensei? How did I do?"

The teacher placed his hand on the student's head, moving it so that it messed up the boy's blond hair a little bit.

"You did great, Ralph. Well done. Now go on and find a sparring partner so you can show off your new moves, okay?"

"Okay! Thanks, sensei!"

Hayate watched as Ralph ran off and joined the other kids, asking for someone to fight in a match. He smiled; he was glad to see that everything was going well and smoothly. The past few weeks had been chaotic for everyone at the dojo. With Ralph and Laura beaten up and Alpha Wolf kidnapping him to force Hitomi to sell the dojo, everyone was in a state of panic. But they haven't been bothered by that gang of thugs for a while, so they have been enjoying some peace for quite some time.

Suddenly, Alpha Wolf popped up in Hayate's mind. He was beginning to worry, for the thug leader had not been doing anything for the past week, so the ninja could not give a guess for what that man was plotting.

_It appears that everything has been a bit too quiet, _Hayate thought to himself. _What is it that Alpha Wolf is plotting? With everything so peaceful right now, it's hard for me to determine what his next move is. Whatever it is, Hitomi and I better keep our eyes open for anything suspicious. If only that was easy to do . . ._

He then turned his gaze towards Hitomi, who was giving lessons of her own to some of the kids. He could easily tell that she was giving it her all in being the best karate teacher she could be. She was such a wonderful person with so many amazing traits. She was cute, energetic, sometimes bubbly, amazing beautiful . . . and purely innocent.

_Hitomi . . . When we were attacked by those thugs, she was about to be molested and raped by one of those freaking bastards. She almost lost her virginity, her purity . . . and so many other things that are so precious to her . . . If that darn freak did rape her . . . she would have been completely changed for the worse. Thank the heavens Kasumi rescued her, or else . . . Hitomi would have been easily broken. Huh, how ironic. Hitomi is doing everything she can to become stronger, yet she is still very fragile in so many ways. _

His eyes narrowed as he continued to watch Hitomi. He had realized that she could still be in danger. With her being fragile, he knew what he had to do.

_I have to protect her for as long as I can. I may not be here for long, but even with this short amount of time I have with her, I still can protect her . . . and I will. _

Suddenly, he jerked his attention towards a window. He thought that he felt like someone was watching him from afar.

_What was that just now? Why did I feel like I'm being watched?_

All of a sudden, his attention was moved away from outside when he felt a small hand pulling on his karate gi. He turned back his head and saw that it was Laura.

"Ein, can I have my lesson now?"

"Yeah, sure. Let's get started."

As he went off with the girl, he thought to himself, _I guess I was just feeling things._

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, on the top of a nearby building<strong>

"Gamma, are you sure we're doing the right thing? I think the boss has gone crazy with trusting this assassin. She's just so . . . cold."

The large, blond haired man looked down on his small companion, who was partially covering his sapphire eyes with his shoulder-length silver hair. Gamma could tell that he was really worried about the situation they were in right now. He then looked back up to the person in front of them who was holding binoculars, watching the children and their karate teachers in the nearby dojo. It was a woman, with short hair that was incredibly white and eyes that were a steely grey. She was tall and slender, and her shocking beauty showed as clear as day that she had a very cold personality. Her outfit was an unusual one, as it consists of black leather trousers and open jacket with blue flame detailing, jaw-shaped leg guards, red-and-black boots, a red belt and two necklaces. She was frightening.

Gamma turned his attention back to his comrade and replied, "Just stay calm, Delta. I'm pretty sure that the boss knows what he is doing. Let's just help this assassin in what she needs help with and keep our mouths shut. Boss will do the rest."

The silver-haired man sighed heavily and looked back at the woman in front of them and nodded slowly as he replied with a soft voice, "Okay . . . But that woman still scares me."

As she looked through her binoculars and secretly overheard the thugs' conversations, she smirked and thought to herself, _Who knew that these men are so scared of snakes?_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Flashback, at Alpha Wolf's hideout, a few days earlier<strong>_

_ "Hitomi's friend is a ninja from Japan?"_

_ Alpha Wolf asked Christie the question with a bit of surprise in his voice. He was a little startled what the woman in front of him told him. He did not expect what was coming to him, and neither did any of his men. All of them were completely speechless._

_ Christie smirked as she answered, "Yes, but he is no ordinary ninja. You see, Hitomi and the rest of those close to him who are not ninjas call him 'Ein,' but in reality, that's not his real name. It's really Hayate. And he is also the leader of his clan, the Mugen Tenshin."_

_ "I see," replied the leader. "But there's one thing that's bothering me. Why are you telling me all of this after you come here from out of nowhere, beat the living daylights out of my men, and calmly demand to meet me? I must admit, I can see that you are no ordinary assassin. In fact, you're quite an excellent and smart one. My lair here is very hard to find if you're not one of my men, but you just show up here as if you have been here before. And the fighting technique that you use is quite a deadly one. But these facts make me even more confused as to why you are here."_

_ With a calm yet icy cold voice, the assassin answered, "Let's just say that I'm a bit mad at Hayate and his band of meddling ninjas. You see, a few months ago, I was working for Victor Donovan of DOATEC, and he hired me to kill Helena Douglas, the leader of the company. I was just about to complete my mission, but then those damn ninjas appeared and ruined everything. They destroyed the Tritower where we were at, and few of them ninjas stood in my way. And when I confronted Helena, the place was almost completely engulfed within fire that I had to abandon my mission and escape. I'm very mad at those ninjas for interfering with my mission to kill Helena. Back then, I was so obsessed with killing that woman. I've tried to understand why I had this desire to be the one to take her life, but I've never found the right words to describe it. I guess you could say that I was somewhat . . . fascinated by her . . . to the point where I wanted her blood to be upon my hands. But Hayate and his clan took my chance of fulfilling my inner desires. Helena nearly died by the fire and my chance of killing her personally was almost taken from me forever. That is something that I find unforgivable. I want to make Hayate pay for almost permanently taking my chances of killing Helena. Only I alone . . . can kill her."_

_ Alpha Wolf was a bit interested with Christie's story, but he only replied with a smirk as he pushed himself away from the table and crossed his legs over it as he leaned back on his chair. He then spoke up, "So in a few words, you want to take revenge on Hayate for what he and his clan has done to your mission. I must say, your desire for revenge is quite strong and absolutely undeniable, but for even an assassin like you, revenge is something that's very dangerous to use."_

_ "True. I must admit that my desire for vengeance is something that I cannot completely control by my own free will. But what about you? Don't you want to take revenge for the death of one of your thugs? That man, Beta, was it? He was your right-hand man, was he not? He was killed by one of Hayate's ninjas."_

_ "Yes, you're right. I do want to take revenge for the death of one of my . . . 'dearest wolves.' But that doesn't mean that I want to hire you to kill him. I mean, why should I trust you?"_

_ Christie smirked again as she replied, "You don't. That is one of the most essential truths in this world in order to survive. You trust no one."_

_ Alpha Wolf haughtily laughed as he brought down his knees and sat up straight on his chair. He then looked straight into her grey eyes as he said, "I really like you, Christie. You're quite the fascinating and slithering snake. Alright then, I'll hire you. But I'm warning you right now. Do anything suspicious and I will have you killed. Understood?"_

_ The assassin nodded in agreement with an icy smile as she answered, "Of course, sir. I understand completely."_

_**End of flashback**_

* * *

><p>As Christie continued to look upon the dojo, she spotted Hayate and smiled. She was about to have her revenge.<p>

She then turned back to Gamma and Delta and told them, "We wait until their dojo closes. Then we'll make our move. Is that clear for the both of you?"

After they both nodded in silence, she turned her attention back to the dojo and said, "Good. Once evening comes, the girl and her precious ninja will be poisoned by the snake's lethal venom."

* * *

><p><strong>Later, at 5 p.m., outside the dojo<strong>

After she locked the front door of the dojo, Hitomi turned to Hayate and said, "Well, that's it for today. Let's go home."

He nodded and followed her as she walked on the street towards home.

As they walked side by side, Hitomi kept on looking at Hayate's face. She wanted to remember every detail of his face before he went back home to his village. She knew that the next few days would be the last ones that she would have with him before he would disappear forever. Hitomi wanted all of the features of his face to be engraved into her memories for all eternity. Hayate would look back down upon her and asked if something was wrong. She would quickly turn away and replied that everything was alright and they continued walking.

Soon, they reached her apartment and Hayate finally asked her, "Hitomi, is everything alright? I always find you looking as my face and you keep on assuring me that you're okay. But now I'm starting to worry. Are you really okay, Hitomi?"

The brunette looked into his brown eyes with her baby blue ones with tears forming at the edges. Silently, she shook her head, giving him a no.

He sighed as he asked, "You're feeling stressed about me leaving in a week?"

" . . . Yeah . . . How did you know that?"

"Well, I'm still being stressed about it too. I just wish that we had more time together. We've been working so hard at your father's dojo and keeping those thugs away that we hardly spent some time together. It would have been nice if we had more time together, you know?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I guess there's nothing we could do about it. But we did get to see each other again for a month. It's better than nothing right?"

"I suppose . . . But I'm really going to miss you, Hitomi."

Suddenly, Hayate wrapped his arms around her and drew her into a hug. Her light sapphire eyes widened in shock, but then she wrapped her own arms around him and drew him closer. They just stood there for a while, hugging each other. Hayate brought his hand up to her hair and stroked it lightly. He loved how soft and smooth it was. Hitomi leaned her head on his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. It had a stable rhythm beneath his muscular chest, and she loved all of it.

Then they pulled away, and they looked into each other's eyes again. As Hitomi looked at Hayate, she thought, _This is really the last days that I get to spend time with him. Should I tell him that I love him? If I don't say anything, then he'll never know my true feelings for him. But if I do, then what will he say?_

As worry began to show on her face, Hayate asked, "Is there something wrong?"

Suddenly, Hitomi's mind screamed, _I have to do it! It's now or never!_

She then spoke "Hayate . . . I . . ."

Before she could finish, both of them were suddenly bumped by someone running by. They stumbled, but they managed to stay on their feet and recover. But suddenly, Hitomi gasped in shock.

"My bag! It's gone!"

She turned towards where the mysterious person ran, and saw that he had her bag.

"Hey, thief! Get back here!"

Then Hitomi ran as fast as she could, trying to catch the thief. Hayate called out to her to stop, but she did not listen, so he decided to follow her and help.

The thief ran down several streets as fast as she could, quickly making his way through the crowd and keeping his distance away from Hitomi. Then all of sudden he turned a corner. Hitomi quickly followed, and saw that he was heading for a narrow passageway. She quickly made her way to it, but when she entered, she could not see anything. It was pitch black. Suddenly, the light behind her disappeared. She turned around and saw that a door was blocking her light, but before she could do anything, she felt something hard hit her on the back of her head. Before Hitomi knew it, she fell to the ground and blacked out.

Gamma walked up to the unconscious girl, picked her up, and carelessly flung her over his shoulders. He then turned to his partner and said, "Well, we've done our part. Now we leave the rest to her now."

"Yeah," replied Delta. "I wonder how she'll do."

* * *

><p>When Hayate reached the alley, he did not see Hitomi or the thief anywhere. He scanned the area frantically, wondering where she met, but he could not see any path where she could have gone.<p>

He cried out in panic, "Hitomi! Where are you?"

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his neck. It was like a needle had just pierced him deeply through his skin. Carefully he pulled it out and saw that it was some sort of dart.

"What in the world . . . ? Uhh . . ."

All of a sudden, Hayate felt incredibly dizzy. His mind could not stay focus, and his vision was getting blurry. His feet began to wobble and he could not stand still. He had to place his hand on the wall to keep his balance. He looked at the dart and saw that there was some sort of liquid inside. His brown eyes widened in panic.

"Is this . . . poison?"

Before he knew it, Hayate fell to the ground. Everything went completely black as he lost his consciousness.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, from the top of a nearby building<strong>

Christie looked through her eyepiece of her rifle and smirked as she saw the ninja lying unconscious on the ground. Hayate was such an easy target when his guard was down.

"I hope you have a pleasant dream, ninja. The poison has made you lose your consciousness instantly, but you'll be having a good sleep before you die. That's what happens when you allow yourself to be bitten by a snake. Its kiss is both sweet and deadly. Good night."

She then packed up her rifle and walked away from where she was, making her way to the stairs. The next phase was about to begin.

* * *

><p>Well, there you have it folks. If there are any of you who are worried about Hayate, don't worry. He's not going to die. This isn't going to be a tragedy. How is he going to survive? Well, stay tuned for the next chapter to find out.<p> 


	7. Choice

Hey everyone! I can't believe that I actually uploaded this new chapter so quickly. It's a bit brief, but I hope you'll still enjoy it.

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: Choice<p>

Hitomi opened her blue eyes as a bright light was shining on her face from above. She squinted due to the intensity of the light. She looked away from the light and saw nothing but darkness. Everywhere she looked was nothing but pitch black. The brunette could not determine where she was. She then looked down and saw that she was bound to a chair. A strong chain was wrapped around her body, especially at her hands and feet, and was holding her down. She could not move at all.

"Hey! What is this? What's going on here?"

Suddenly, she heard a voice from the dark saying, "Calm down, Miss Hitomi. I don't want you to give me more trouble than you already have."

Hitomi turned her head to where the voice came from and saw a man emerging from the shadows and stepping into the light.

"Good evening. I'm terribly sorry that my men were a little bit rough with you. But I really needed them to bring you to me."

"Who are you?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten who I am. I'm the one who's going to own your father's dojo."

Hitomi gasped. The man that was standing before her and she was talking to was none other than Alpha Wolf himself. But she did not recognize him because she did not see his face before when she confronted him the first time a week ago at the park. He was wearing his white suit and glasses from before, but now she clearly saw his facial features. He had short and spiky jet black hair and his eyes were an unusual golden color.

She tried to break free again, but she could not budge. The chains were too strong for her. She then asked him, "Where am I? And what are you going to do with me?"

Alpha Wolf replied with a calm yet cruel voice, "You're in my lair of course. I had to bring you someplace where you and I could talk without any interruption from anyone. As for what I'm going to do with you, don't worry. I'm not going to do anything horrible, like have my men torture you. I just need to 'persuade' you to just give up resisting and just sell me the dojo already."

Hitomi shook her head furiously as she yelled, "Forget it, Alpha Wolf! I'm not going to sell you my father's dojo! No matter what you do, you won't have it!"

"Oh, so if I expose the truth to everyone in the world that your friend Ein is actually a ninja named Hayate, you still won't give me the dojo?"

Her sky blue eyes widened in shock. She could not believe what she had just heard from him. He knew Hayate's true identity as a ninja.

"How did you . . . know that?"

"I have my sources. Now I will ask you again. If you refuse to sell me your dojo, then I can tell the whole world that Ein's real name is actually Hayate and that he is the leader of the Mugen Tenshin Clan. Unless you change your mind and sell me the dojo, right?"

Hitomi did not answer Alpha Wolf's question and dropped her head in disbelief. She just couldn't believe what was happening to her. She had promised Hayate that she would not tell anyone his secret. But if she did not give Alpha Wolf her father's dojo, she would allow the truth of Hayate's real identity to be exposed. Hitomi just couldn't figure out what to do.

All of a sudden, her chin was lifted by Alpha Wolf and she was forced to look into his golden eyes. He then asked her with a cold voice, "Well, Hitomi? What's it going to be? Will you give me your father's dojo and I won't expose Hayate's identity? Or will you refuse and I will reveal your friend's secret? The choice is yours. Which do you want to keep and which shall I take?"

"I . . . I . . ."

"What was that, Hitomi? Speak clearly. I cannot understand what you're saying."

The girl struggled to find the right words to say. She really wanted to protect her father's dojo. She loved the students that would always come for their lessons. She even cared for the assistants that would help her. And she loved her father. She promised that she would protect his dojo at all costs. But suddenly, there was one person who immediately popped into Hitomi's mind: Hayate. She loved him so much with all of her heart. If she refused to sell her father's dojo to Alpha Wolf and Hayate's secret was exposed, then his clan would be in danger. She had promised him that she would protect his secret no matter what. If anything bad were to happen to him and his ninja clan, she would carry blame and regret for the rest of her life. She had to decide which was more important to her: the dojo, or Hayate.

_What should I do? _Hitomi thought. _What must I protect? The thing that I promised my father that I would watch over and protect while he's away . . . or the secret of the one person that I love more than anyone else?_

Suddenly, Hayate appeared in her mind. She knew her answer. She had to protect his secret . . . even if it meant that she had to give up her father's dojo.

With a trembling voice, Hitomi gave her answer. "Alright. You can have my father's dojo. But you promise that you'll keep the truth about Hayate a secret, right?"

Alpha Wolf gave her an evil smile and smirked as he replied, "Of course, Hitomi. His secret is safe with me as long as your father's dojo is mine. Now then, I can't let you go right now, so you'll be spending the night here. Then I'll have you dropped off at the dojo in the morning and you'll tell everyone that it's closing and then you'll give me the contracts for the dojo. Is that clear?"

In shame, Hitomi nodded. She didn't want to sell her father's dojo, but in order to protect Hayate's secret, she had to do what needed to be done, even if it was something she didn't want to do.

Then Alpha Wolf backed away from Hitomi and snapped his fingers. Gamma and Delta appeared from the shadows and stepped into the light behind the girl. They undid the chains that bound her to the chair. But then they gripped both of her arms, holding her tightly so she wouldn't run away.

"Now then," said Alpha Wolf. "Gamma and Delta will take you to where you'll be staying for tonight. I hope that you'll find it comfortable."

Hitomi was then pushed away from Alpha Wolf by Gamma and Delta. They forced her to walk away from the only source of light, making her unable to see where she was going. Then Gamma pushed a door and forced her through. The three of them then walked down a dimly lit hallway. The brunette could smell something so horrible, like a sewer. It was so bad that she didn't want to know what it was. She could also hear some water droplets falling from the ceiling, and some of them even landed on her. Hitomi couldn't help but wonder where exactly she was.

After a couple minutes of walking, the two men stopped Hitomi at a door. Gamma opened it with his free hand and pushed the girl inside.

"Enjoy your stay here tonight, sweetheart," said Delta, as he closed the door behind her.

Hitomi then heard the lock, knowing that she couldn't get out that way. She then looked around the room and saw nothing but a small bed. It was the only piece of furniture. The room was also dimly lit, as the only source of light was a light bulb hanging from the ceiling. And there was only one small window on the wall, and it was barred, preventing her from escaping. She was truly a prisoner trapped in a cage.

_I can't believe this is actually happening to me, _she thought.

Then she walked up to the bed, pulled off its sheets and lied down on it. She could hear the springs creak from underneath as she shifted her body on the mattress, and realized that it must have been really old. Pulling the blanket over her body, Hitomi looked up through the barred window at the moonlit sky. As she tried to fall asleep, there was one thing that lingered in her mind.

_Hayate . . . Wherever he is, I hope he's okay . . ._

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, at Alpha Wolf's office<strong>

Alpha Wolf was leaning on his chair with his legs crossed on the table. He took a cigar into his mouth and lit the edge with his pocket match. Then he smoked in satisfaction. Everything was going well for him. He finally managed to force Hitomi into selling her father's dojo. Nothing was going to stand in his way for what he wanted.

Suddenly, he heard a knock a door. He called out, "Come in."

The door opened and Christie walked into the office, quietly closing the door behind her.

"Is there something you want, sir?"

"Nothing much really. I just wanted to thank you. Because of your brilliant plan, I'm just a few steps away from having what I want. However, there's just one thing that bothers me."

"And what would that be?"

"It's about how you dealt with Hayate. Why didn't you just kill him with a bullet and get him out of my way instead of slowly letting him die with a poison dart?"

"It's simple thinking really. If I had used an actual bullet, then the shot would have been heard and I would risk getting caught by the police. As a professional assassin, I do my work with stealth and I don't leave a trail for anyone to follow. And since Hayate was alone in a dark alley and not surrounded by a huge crowd, then no one would be able to help him."

"Hmph, you did make some valid points there. But what if one of his annoying ninja allies was watching him and cures him from the poison? Then we'll have to deal with him again."

"I know. I've already taken that fact into consideration. If Hayate does survive somehow, then I'll be ready to face him again. And if he doesn't, then it's his loss and not something that I should be worried about."

"For your own sake, Christie, I hope you can fully handle this situation on your own. And remember, you will receive your payment only after the dojo is mine. Do I make myself clear?"

"Of course, sir. I understand clearly."

Alpha Wolf stared coldly with his golden wolf-like eyes into Christie's grey-colored ones. He gave her a look that told her that he really meant what he said. If she'd screw anything up, she would not receive her paycheck from him, and perhaps even deal with some sort of punishment for her failure. The assassin smirked at the look. He looked like he was about to lose his cool. She slowly turned around and left the room.

After Christie departed, Alpha Wolf brought his cigar to his mouth and slowly inhaled through it. As he blew out an air of smoke, he thought to himself,

_Tomorrow will be the end to everything . . . this ridiculous battle . . . and my revenge . . ._

* * *

><p><strong>Back at Hitomi's apartment, at around midnight<strong>

Hayate gave out a loud groan as he slowly opened his eyes and saw a ceiling fan above him, slowly spinning round and round. He placed a hand on his forehead as he tried to sit up from wherever he was lying. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his chest and he turned to his side. Beside him was a girl with short violet hair and orange red eyes, dressed in a purple ninja outfit that had an etching of a butterfly on the upper left side of her chest. She also wore a fishnet shirt underneath and a purple headband around her head.

"Ayane . . ."

"Thank goodness you're awake, Master Hayate. I was beginning to worry that you wouldn't wake up."

As he pushed himself up, he found himself lying on the couch. "What . . . happened to me?"

"I found you unconscious in an alley. You were hit with some sort of poison dart. I managed to give you a drink with the antidote for the poison and quickly brought you back here to your friend's place. It's a good thing that I found you when I did. If I have arrived much later, then you would have died. I can't imagine how the clan will survive without you, Master Hayate."

"Yes . . . I remember now . . . I was hit with a dart while I was trying to find Hito-"

Suddenly, he gasped and frantically looked around. Hitomi was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh no! Hitomi! I have to find-! Ugh!"

As he tried to get up, the pain in his head suddenly swelled up, causing him to collapse back on the couch. Ayane did her best to make him comfortable, hoping to take some of his pain away.

"Please, Master. You shouldn't move right now. The poison may be gone from your body, but you still need to rest."

"But I . . . need to find . . . Hitomi . . ."

"Master, Hitomi will be fine. I know because I have seen her strength. When I fought her during the third tournament, not only did I see her physical strength, but I also saw the strength of her heart. She is strong enough to stand against anything that comes in her way. Within her lies an incredible spirit to persevere through hard times. The strength of her heart is part of the reason why Hitomi is so strong, to the point where she can stand against my ninjustu. That fight alone showed me what kind of person she is. So please, Master Hayate, have faith in her."

Hayate stared at Ayane. He was in awe of what she had just said. She acknowledged Hitomi not only as a strong warrior, but also a strong person at heart. He then looked down with his mind full of thoughts. He had known Hitomi for a longer time than Ayane, but the violet haired ninja had quickly figured out what kind of person Hitomi was just through one fight with her.

_Hitomi is strong at heart, _Hayate thought to himself. _She was able to get through what Alpha Wolf has thrown in her path for the past few weeks and she's managed to recover without having doubt in herself. I've always told her to stay strong, and she has been. Perhaps Ayane is right . . . Perhaps I need to believe in Hitomi . . ._

He then turned towards Ayane and said, "Alright. I'll put my faith in her."

As he lied down, Ayane steadied him and pulled a blanket over him.

"I'll stay here for now until you're better. You should be back to your full health in the morning."

Hayate nodded as he replied, "Alright. Thank you, Ayane."

He then closed his eyes and drifted off into a deep slumber. As Ayane watched her master sleep, she sighed as she thought to herself,

_Master Hayate . . . he really cares for that girl . . ._

* * *

><p>So will Hitomi sell to Alpha Wolf her father's dojo? Will Hayate save her? Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out! As always, leave reviews!<p> 


	8. All on the Line

Hello my dear readers. You must have been dying to know what happens next. Well, thank you for your patience. Here's the next chapter!

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: All on the Line<p>

There was a loud bang on the door, and Hitomi only moved around a little on the bed. She was very tired, for she stayed up for most of the night, unable to get some sleep, worried of what was going to happen in the morning. At some point during the late hours, she somehow managed to fall into deep slumber, despite lying on an uncomfortable bed and covered with a very thin blanket. But now her sleep was being interrupted by the loud pounding on the door.

All of a sudden, the door burst open, and Gamma and Delta stomp inside the room. The small, silver haired thug pulled the blanket off of Hitomi and the big blond man nudged at Hitomi, trying to get her to open her eyes.

He shouted right at her ear, "Hey! It's time to wake up!"

The brunette groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. As she saw Gamma big, blood crimson eyes staring straight into her sky blue orbs, she yelped and instantly sat up on the bed. He grabbed her right arm and his partner grabbed the other. Together they pulled her up and off the bed.

"It's time to go, sweetheart," said Delta. "Today's the day you give the boss what he wants. So move it."

Then Hitomi was suddenly pushed forward by the two men, almost tripping forward. She was shoved out of the room and was forced to walk down the hallway. Once again, she went down the hall that had very little light from the ceiling, an unbearable smell that forced her to breathe through her mouth, and the liquid droplets that fell from the ceiling and landed from her head. The brunette walked on in silence, ashamed of herself for being unable to protect what she promised she would.

The three of them stopped at a pair of elevator doors. Delta pressed the down button and the doors opened. The thugs pushed Hitomi inside and followed. Then Gamma pressed a button on the wall that had a "G" on it, and the doors immediately closed. Suddenly, Hitomi could feel the elevator move, and they started going down. The brunette could hear a lot of creaking noises as they continued to descend. She wondered what kind of rusty old building they were in.

After a few minutes of slowly going down, the elevator suddenly stopped and the doors parted open. Hitomi could see a few cars parked and some light from the ceiling. Gamma and Delta pushed her forward, forcing her to walk through the dimly lit garage. There were some openings to the outside, but she could not see any light from the sun, no matter where she looked. She figured it was still dark outside.

Eventually, the three of them stopped at a black BMW where Alpha Wolf was waiting for them.

"Good morning, Hitomi," he said to the girl. "I hope that you had a good night sleep."

The brunette did not reply. She was not in the mood to talk to him.

"Now then, my dear. Let's head over to your father's dojo. If you want me to keep your friend's secret, you need to keep your end of the deal. Now, I can't let you see where we are and how to get back here, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to blindfold you."

The dark haired man pulled out a black cloth from his white coat pocket as he walked up around Hitomi. She did not try struggle and break herself free from Gamma and Delta's hold as their boss covered her sky blue eyes with the cloth and tied it at the back of her head. She was then pushed forward to the car, and then she was forced inside. The brunette could not see anything through the black cloth, not even a source of light. But she could feel that there were two people that were sitting on both of her sides. She guessed that they were Gamma and Delta. After hearing the banging of doors, she heard Alpha Wolf's voice, telling his driver to start driving.

Hitomi then felt the car's engine start up and they began to move. As they headed out for the dojo, she thought of what was going to happen. She was about to break not only the promise she made to her father that she would protect the dojo, but also the promise to both him and Hayate that she would be strong. She was weak, under Alpha Wolf's control, and she was ashamed of it.

_I can't believe that I'm letting something horrible like this happen . . . _she thought to herself. _Father . . . Hayate . . . I'm so sorry . . ._

* * *

><p><strong>Later, back at Hitomi's apartment<strong>

Hayate slowly opened his eyes as streams of sunlight hit his face. He carefully pushed himself off from the couch and turned towards his side, seeing Ayane as she was sitting on a chair and watching him.

"Ayane, did you get any sleep last night?"

"I did, Master. You don't have to be worried about me."

After he got up from the couch, he said, "I don't have any time to waste. I've got to find Hitomi and make sure she's alright."

As he headed for the door, Ayane suddenly stood in front of him and stopped him. She then extended her arm and presented to him a white bun that was steaming with heat.

"Take this with you. You need your strength."

Hayate sighed. This was not the time to worry about food. But he knew that she did have a point. He could hear his stomach girdle a little, and realized that he was starving. He grabbed the bun and said to her, "Thanks, Ayane. I'm glad that I can rely on you for help."

She politely bowed and replied, "It's no trouble at all, Master. I'll watch over you while you search for Hitomi. But please be careful."

In an instant, Ayane disappeared within a whirl of violet iris petals. Hayate sighed again, for he was glad that she would have his back. He then opened the front door and hurried out. He had to find Hitomi and make sure that she was safe.

* * *

><p><strong>Near the front of the dojo, at around 8 a.m.<strong>

The black cloth that had been covering Hitomi's eyes was removed, and she blinked immediately for several times as light began pouring into them. She looked on both of her sides and saw that Gamma was on her left and Delta was on her right with the black cloth. She then looked ahead of her and saw Alpha Wolf at the passenger seat, who turned around and glared at her with his gold eyes.

"Now it is time for you to do your part of the agreement. I expect to have the contracts for the dojo soon."

All of a sudden, Delta opened his door and stepped out, taking Hitomi by the arm. As she got out of the car, she saw her father's dojo. Its doors were still closed but she saw some students, their parents, and the instruction assistants gathered at the entrance, wondering where she was.

Then Delta grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "Hey babe, don't do anything funny alright? Cuz if you do, then there's gonna be some serious trouble."

Hitomi silently nodded and headed for the dojo. Delta immediately got back in the car and slammed his door shut.

As the girl approached the dojo, the children noticed her and ran up to her, shouting at her to hurry up. As she got near the doors, one of the instruction assistants walked up to her and said, "Hitomi, you're late. Usually, you and Ein are the first ones here and are ready before we're here. What happened?"

As Hitomi grabbed her keys from her pocket and unlock, she replied with a sad voice, "There's something that I need to tell you."

Elsewhere, Hayate ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He somehow managed to gobble down the meat bun that Ayane had given to him, and in an instant, he was filled with energy and was racing down the streets. He scanned his entire surroundings, trying to find Hitomi. But she was nowhere in sight. Suddenly, Hayate found himself near the dojo. He gasped as he caught sight of Hitomi as she and the students surrounding her entered the dojo. He was glad she was okay, but suddenly he saw her sad face and wondered what was wrong with her. Hayate ran to the dojo, needing some answers from Hitomi.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, at the top of a nearby building<strong>

Through the eyepiece of her rifle, Christie spotted Hayate running towards the dojo. She sighed unhappily at the fact that he was still alive.

"So luck has favored you, ninja," she said. "But this time, I will make sure that you're dead."

All of a sudden, she felt a small blade pushing on the back of her neck. Then she heard a voice say, "You dare hurt my master, and I will send you into a world of pain."

Christie dropped her rifle and stood with her hands in the air. She turned and saw that it was Ayane, who was holding a kunai at her neck.

"Hmph, you again. Your kind can be such a pain in the ass for me. I can never complete my jobs because you ninjas always get in my way."

The violet haired ninja pushed the small blade harder, creating a small wound on the assassin's neck and causing a little blood to drip out. She was ready to cut completely through her enemy's skin and slay her. She then said, "I'm guessing that you're here to conspire with the ones who are trying to hurt my master and his friend."

"Oh no, you got it all wrong. I've been hired to only kill Hayate. As for the girl, I've been told not to hurt her as long as she keeps up her deal with my client."

Ayane's blood orange eyes narrowed as she asked, "What deal?"

"My client knows of Hayate's true identity as a ninja. In order for him to keep that truth a secret from the whole world, the girl must cooperate and sell her father's dojo to my client."

"And if she doesn't?"

The white haired assassin smirked as she answered, "Then she and her friends will be sent into a world of pain."

* * *

><p>Hitomi opened the doors and walked inside the dojo with everyone else following close behind her. Once everyone was inside, she turned around to face everyone. They all saw the sad look on her face and were confused. There was murmuring amongst themselves as they question what was going on and wonder why she was acting a bit strange.<p>

Suddenly, she spoke out with a clear voice saying, "The dojo will be closing down."

In an instant, there were gasps of surprise from everyone. They couldn't believe what she had just said. Then a boy called out, "What? So that means no more lessons?"

The brunette shook her head as she replied, "No. There will be no lessons, no anything. As of today, we're officially out of business."

All of a sudden, one of the instruction assistants asked, "But why, Hitomi? We haven't seen any financial problems with the dojo. Everything seems to be going fine, even at the absence of you father. So why are you closing down?"

Hitomi hesitated a little. The reason why she was closing down the dojo was because she had to protect Hayate's secret about who he truly is, but there was no way she could tell that to everyone. She had to give them an answer that they would understand. So she replied, "Well lately there have been problems that have been going on. They are problems that you wouldn't understand. And you're wrong. Everything isn't alright. I can't exactly explain what's going on. You wouldn't be able to understand. The only thing that you need to know is that the dojo cannot continue. I'm sorry everyone . . . but right now, I have to close it down."

Suddenly, the crowd went up in an uproar. The students were yelling at Hitomi, shouting to her that she couldn't close the dojo. The adults tried to calm the children down, but it was no use. They didn't want Hitomi to put an end to what they love to do with all of their hearts.

Knowing that she had to calm the children down, Hitomi shouted, "Please, everyone! Calm down! Listen, I ask that you try to understand. I know that there are a lot of things that I need to explain, but I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't keep the dojo open anymore."

Laura ran up to Hitomi and hugged her tightly at the waist. The little girl looked up to her teacher with her light blue eyes that were wet with tears. With a sad voice, she said, "Hitomi don't do this. Please let us help you. Just tell us what's wrong and we'll help you deal with them. We won't let you face them alone."

The brunette placed her hands on the little girl's shoulders and sadly shook her head. "I'm sorry Laura. I'm glad that you want to help, but this is something that none of you can handle. There's nothing that we can do to save the dojo . . . It's over . . ."

All of a sudden, all of them heard a voice from behind shouting, "Hitomi!"

They turned around and saw Hayate standing at the door. His breathing was heavy as he was just running around the city trying to find Hitomi. Sweat was trickling down his forehead and dampening his shirt. He slowly walked forward and everyone stepped away to the sides as he made his way to Hitomi. He was relieved that she was okay, but as he reached her, he saw sadness and despair in her sky blue eyes. He saw that something was wrong.

"Hitomi, what's wrong? What happened to you?"

Her eyes swelled with tears. She didn't want to tell him what was going on. She was so ashamed of herself that she didn't want to say anything. But she knew that she had to tell him the truth. With a heartbreaking voice, she replied, "The dojo is closing down."

Hayate's brown eyes became wide in shock. He couldn't believe a word Hitomi said. He shook his head and asked, "You're closing it down? Why Hitomi? What happened?"

All of a sudden, Hitomi placed her hands on his neck and gently pulled his head closer to hers. Their foreheads touched each other and they looked into each other's eyes. Hayate didn't understand what she was doing. But then she whispered to him, "It's Alpha Wolf . . . he knows your real identity . . . If I don't sell him the dojo then he's going to expose your secret to the world . . . I'm sorry . . ."

His eyes widened even more. He couldn't believe it. Alpha Wolf somehow knew about his true identity as a ninja. Questions were rushing through his mind as to how that man knew.

She then pulled away and said with a clear voice, "I'm sorry, Ein, but I have to close the dojo down. I'm glad that you came back, and helped me in keeping it going for as long as it did. But-"

All of a sudden, Hayate raised a hand, causing her to stop. He then spoke with a loud voice saying, "You're not closing this dojo down. I won't let you, Hitomi."

Everyone gasped. They were shocked at what they heard. Hayate was not going to let Hitomi closed the dojo down. Some of the students were shouting with joy, happy that he was going to do something to save the dojo. The instruction assistants and the parents murmured amongst themselves, wondering how he was going to prevent the dojo from closing down.

Hitomi was surprised was well. Hayate was willing to save her father's dojo, despite the risk of his secret being exposed to the world. But then she shook her head and said, "Ein, there's no way we can keep the dojo running. It's impossible."

Hayate replied back, "It will keep on going, Hitomi. I promised your father that I will help you in protecting the dojo until he is well. I have no intention on breaking that promise, no matter what."

The girl ran up to him and shook her head furiously. She then whispered to him "Ein . . . there's no way. If I don't give Alpha Wolf the dojo, then he's going to expose your secret."

All of a sudden, Hayate hugged Hitomi tightly and whispered into her ear, "Don't worry, Hitomi. I won't let that happen. Alpha Wolf will not get what he wants. There's no way I'm going to let him have it his way. I won't let him expose my secret, and I won't let you sell the dojo to him. We're going to protect it together. I promise."

As he pulled away his head, Hayate looked straight into Hitomi's eyes, showing her his determination and strong will. He wanted her to believe in him.

As tears began to form again, Hitomi struggled to say what she wanted to say to him. "Ein . . ."

Suddenly, there was gunfire coming from behind them. The children started to scream as soon as they heard the gunshots ringing through the dojo. The adults ducked down and tried to protect the kids as they ran towards the walls. They all looked back and saw men that were covered from head to toe in black. In their hands were machine guns that were fully loaded with bullets.

One of the thugs pointed his gun to Hitomi and shouted, "You've double-crossed the boss, bitch! Now it's time to pay!"

Hayate stood in front of the girl and took his stance, saying, "You'll have to get through me first."

* * *

><p>As soon as she heard the gunfire, Ayane panicked in her mind. <em>Those gunshots came from the dojo where Master Hayate is! This isn't good!<em>

Suddenly, Christie stomped really hard on the ninja's foot, causing the girl to yelp in pain and move back a little. Before she could regain her balance, the assassin jabbed her several times with her palms, following with two powerful kicks at her face. Ayane was sent flying backwards and landed hard on the ground.

When she got up, she yelled, "Coward! How dare you do something cheap like that to me!"

Christie smirked as she replied, "I do what I have to. Now if you excuse me. I have some matters I must attend to."

She then turned and leaped off the roof, landing safely on the ground. Since it appeared that Hitomi would not be cooperating with Alpha Wolf, the assassin had to retrieve the stubborn girl.

Ayane hurried to the edge and looked out as she saw Christie making her way to the dojo. As she lifted her eyes to the entrance, she thought to herself, _Master Hayate . . . please be alright._

* * *

><p>While the children, their parents and the instruction assistants ran out of the doors, all of the thugs pointed their guns at Hayate, not caring about the kids. Then one thug shouted, "This is your last warning, pal! Step aside or you're dead!"<p>

The ninja did not move from where he stood. He was not going to let Hitomi get hurt. He turned his head and told her, "Go hide now."

Hitomi was shocked and exclaimed, "What! You're not gonna-!"

"Go now!" he shouted. He was serious and wanted her to hide before anything happened to her. She was stunned at first, but soon realized that she couldn't talk him out of fighting them. She lightly nodded and behind some of the dojo equipment, peeping through to see that Hayate was okay.

Hayate glared at all of the thugs with his dark brown eyes as he spoke with a loud and frightening voice, " You all disgust me. I can look into all of your souls and they are all filled with nothing but filth. You fight with no honor and you disrespect your opponents. You strike fear into the hearts of many innocent people. And you have no regrets about it. You are all nothing but monsters!"

They were getting tired of his speech, and a thug shouted, "Like we care about any of that crap! Go to hell!"

Then they opened fired at Hayate, their bullets flying towards him at lightning speed. However, he swept pass them at lightning speed. His body was not hit by any bullet. He then got close to one thug and knocked him unconscious. The other thugs tried to shoot him down, but the ninja quickly flipped in the air and spun himself, dodging all of the bullets. Suddenly, several thugs found themselves out of bullets. And before they knew it, Hayate landed on the ground and punched the thugs in the head and stomach with full force. One thug drew out a knife and charged at the ninja, swinging his blade violently. But Hayate quickly ran towards a wall and ran up on it, flipping himself over the thug. Before the thug co do anything, the ninja kicked at his hand, flinging the knife away, and then kicked the thug in the stomach, causing him to fly towards the wall and bang really hard on it before dropping on the ground. All of a sudden, more thugs discarded their empty machine guns and drew their knives, charging at Hayate. But the ninja remained calm and fought back, dodging their blades and punching and kicking the thugs with such strength.

Hitomi watched in awe as Hayate continued to knock out the thugs, one after the other. His strength was unbelievable. His speed was lightning fast. The thugs did not stand any chance against him. He was beating them up like they were nothing but sand bags.

_Hayate . . . He's doing it again . . . He's using his ninja skills on those thugs. They stand no chance against him. Amazing!_

But all of a sudden, she was grabbed by the waist and lifted onto somebody's shoulder. She tried to break free, but it was no use. Strong arms were holding her in place.

"Hey! Let me go!"

Christie held the girl firm on her shoulder, despite all of the kicking and squirming. She paid no attention to the girl's cries and headed out the door.

_Well that was easy, _the assassin thought to herself. _With Hayate so distracted by the thugs, kidnapping the girl is so easy._

As he knocked out one thug, Hayate heard Hitomi's cries for help. He turned and saw her being carried by a tall woman.

"No! Hitomi!"

But before he could run for the door, two thugs stood his way. The bigger one turned to his smaller companion and said, "Let's get him, Delta. Boss wants him dead right now."

The silver haired man nodded as he pulled out two daggers, replying, "Got it, Gamma."

Hayate shook his head in disbelief as the two thugs charged and started attacking him. He was going to lose Hitomi again.

_Damn it! At this rate, I won't be able to reach her in time! Please Hitomi! No matter where they take you, just hold on!_

* * *

><p>Christie ran across the street with Hitomi on her shoulders, dodging the ongoing traffic of trucks and cars that were zooming by. Reaching the black BMW, the assassin quickly opened the door, flung her captive in, and stepped inside herself. After she closed the door, the car sped up and zoomed through the traffic.<p>

All of a sudden, everyone inside heard the sirens of police cars who were following them. Alpha Wolf turned around and saw that the cops were not too far behind and were closing in on them quickly. He then said to his driver, "Hurry up already. They're gaining on us."

From the back, Hitomi shouted, "Where are you taking me! What are you planning to do with me now!"

He did not answer her questions and said to Christie, "Shut her up."

Before the girl could do anything, the assassin hit the back of her neck. In an instant, she lost conscience.

* * *

><p>Hayate panted heavily for air and looked down upon Gamma and Delta as they lied on the ground unconscious. It was a very tough fight with the big blond brute's incredible strength and the small silver haired man's skill with the blade, but somehow he managed to defeat them.<p>

Realizing that he had to save Hitomi, Hayate sprinted for the door. As he hurried outside, he saw police cars coming from the distance towards the dojo. Then he spotted his ninja companion on the roof tops, who was beckoning him to follow her. He quickly crossed the road, ran for the alleys where no one could see him, and leaped for the roof tops.

As he jumped from roof to roof, he caught up with Ayane and asked, "Do you know where Hitomi was taken?"

The violet haired ninja replied, "She's being held captive by that thug leader and his hired assassin. They're most likely heading back for their hideout."

"Which way did they go?"

Ayane smirked as she replied, "Just follow me."

Then she leaped forward in front of him and Hayate quickly followed behind her. As they leaped from roof top to roof top, kept on thinking of Hitomi. He had to hurry and find her. Alpha Wolf could do anything with her and he had to protect her.

_Hitomi . . . please be safe . . ._

* * *

><p>Will Hayate and Ayane be able to stop Alpha Wolf and save Hitomi in time? Stay tuned for the next chapter. As always, reviews are appreciated!<p> 


	9. Wolf's Den

Hey everyone. I apologize for the delay of uploading this chapter. It's not that I was busy. I was just too lazy unfortunately. So I'm so sorry for leaving everyone with such a big cliffhanger. But I'm pretty sure that you will all be satisfied with this new chapter.

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: Wolf's Den<p>

It was around evening. Everything outside was starting to become dark. The sun was beginning to set, its light slowly disappearing. A few dim lights from inside the buildings allowed one to see through the darkness that was starting to creep over. It was not safe to go outside all alone in this part of town, for it was filled with thugs who were always watching from the shadows. This place was a humongous ghetto.

In one area was a large building that was three stories high. It was really old and rundown, as its outside bricks were rusty and ready to fall out, and most of its barred windows were covered with pieces of wood that were nailed over them. Over the creaky double doors were words that were lit with a very low light. It read "Wolf's Den."

At the rooftop of one nearby building, Hayate and Ayane stood and scanned the Wolf's Den, studying its structure. They had followed Alpha Wolf's BMW as it was zooming through the streets and getting the police off of its trail. Then they came to the hideout, where they watched as the vehicle quickly got inside the garage. The two ninjas quickly scanned the whole area, looking for a way to quietly get inside, but all of the windows, doors, and ventilators were all shut. Wolf's Den was completely shut against intruders. Sneaking inside was not an option.

_This is going to be difficult, _Hayate thought to himself. _How in the world am I supposed to save Hitomi? We can't sneak inside, and if Ayane and I barge in, then the noise will draw attention to us. There's no doubt that Alpha Wolf will have a ton of henchmen guarding the place. How am I to do this?_

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted when Ayane said, "I'll create a distraction to draw all of their attention to me while you go and find Hitomi."

He turned to his violet-haired companion and asked, "What kind of distraction do you have in mind?"

"It's simple, Master," she replied. "I'll barge into the building and fight the thugs. While all of them are busy fighting me, you search the place until you find her."

"Ayane, that's too dangerous. Look, I know that you are a capable fighter, but we don't know how many of those thugs are. You might be overwhelmed."

"It's the only option we got. Besides, I've dealt with problems bigger and tougher than these guys. They won't stand a chance against me. You're just going to have to trust me on this, Master."

Hayate was hesitant about Ayane's plan. He knew that she was a very strong fighter with amazing ninjustu skills and powerful ninpo techniques. But he was still worried about her. After all, she is part of his family. Ayane may only be his half-sister/cousin, but she is still family. He trusts her and cares for her, and he would be devastated if he had somehow lost her.

But he knew that she was right. The thugs had to be distracted so that he could save Hitomi. Letting Ayane fight the thugs on her own was the only option they had.

Hayate placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Alright Ayane. I'll let you fight those thugs. But promise me that you'll be careful. I don't want to lose you. So come out alive. Understood?"

The violet-haired ninja placed her hand on his and answered, "Yes, Master."

* * *

><p>Alpha Wolf stomped his way through the hallway with Christie carrying an unconscious Hitomi on her shoulder and following close behind him. All of his henchmen who were in his way quickly stepped aside for him to pass through. They could see clearly that their boss was really mad. The man was furious. He was so close in extracting his revenge on Hitomi and her father. But of all things, Hayate just had to interfere and stop Hitomi from selling the dojo. His plan had been ruined.<p>

Suddenly, he swirled his body around and gave a mad glare at Christie as he screamed, "This is all your fault, assassin! You should have just killed him when you had the chance instead of poisoning him and giving him a chance to live!"

The silver-haired assassin sighed as she answered, "My apologies, sir. This is only a minor setback. I promise that-"

"A minor setback? A MINOR SETBACK! THIS IS A MAJOR SETBACK! That damn ninja got in the way and the dojo is not yet mine like how I planned it! The police almost caught me and are most likely looking for me so I have to hide! Now there's a chance that I would either get arrested by them or get killed by the ninja! AND THIS IS ALL BECAUSE YOU LET THAT DAMN NINJA LIVE!"

"I told you sir. These problems can be solved sir. I'll kill Hayate the next time I see him. And you need to calm down sir. You're losing it and breaking down very badly."

Alpha Wolf grunted as he turned around and continued to walk on ahead as he mumbled to himself, "To think that Donovan would hire a no-good assassin that would only fail him every time."

All of a sudden he heard something click behind him. He turned his head and saw that Christie was holding a gun and pointing it at his back, right where his heart was.

"I would be careful with your words sir. If I want to, I can betray you and kill you. I never allow anyone who would talk bad about me live. Utter another insult about me and you're dead."

The man turned his head back forward and replied, "I'll keep that in mind. But you should remember that I can do the same to you. Now bring that girl to my room. I need to teach her a lesson or two about what happens when someone fails in a task that I give them."

Suddenly, the two of them heard someone calling from behind, "Boss! BOSS!"

They turned around and saw a thug running to them. When he reached them, he quickly caught his breath and yelled, "We got big trouble! There's this purple-haired slut who's beating the living daylights out of several of us! We're trying to beat her, but it's no use! She's gonna take us all out!"

Christie sighed and said, "It's Hayate's companion, Ayane. She's the master of the Hajin Mon Sect of the Mugen Tenshin clan. She may be young, but she's quite a formidable opponent. If she's here, then Hayate is most likely here as well."

Alpha Wolf then stomped up to her and grabbed Hitomi from her shouting, "Well if you know her so well, then make yourself useful and get rid of that bitch!"

The assassin merely shrugged and walked away. She just couldn't understand why her client was losing his cool so easily. She always thought of him as someone who was always calm and collected, no matter what kind of situation he's in. But she was obviously wrong.

As Christie headed off, Alpha Wolf then shouted to his thug, "I want you to find and kill Hayate! If you fail me, then I will literally feed you to dogs! NOW GO!"

In an instant, the poor thug was off, running as fast as he could away from his boss. The poor man was so afraid of his master at that moment and did not want to make him angrier than he already was.

Left alone, Alpha Wolf continued on to his room with the poor unconscious girl hanging helplessly on his shoulder. He was going to make her pay for all the trouble she had caused. But unbeknownst to him, Hayate was watching him from the shadows above. When Alpha Wolf was very far away, the ninja jumped down from the ceiling. His dark brown eyes were filled with anger.

"If you do anything to Hitomi, then I will kill you, bastard."

* * *

><p><strong>Back at the main hall<strong>

Ayane kicked one thug in the stomach and sent him flying into the wall, leaving a huge dent and big huge cracks. Then she ran up to another thug and delivered powerful punches into his chest before kicking him into another thug, knocking both of them out. Suddenly, one big man quickly ran up behind her, ready to smash her with his metal club. But the ninja sensed his presence and quickly spun away as he swung his weapon. Then she countered by kicking him in the stomach and sent him flying into the air. He landed on several unprepared thugs and they were unable to push him off.

After she hit one thug in the neck and knocking him cold, Ayane took a good look around her and noticed that she had just taken out every thug she could see. Ever since she barged through the front door, she had been fighting a horde of thugs and she easily defeated every single one of them. Now there was no one left to challenge her.

"These guys are so pathetic," she said to herself. "I thought that they would put up a good fight but I guess I was wrong."

But all of a sudden, she heard a voice call out, "Then I guess it's my turn."

Ayane turned towards the direction of the voice and saw a figure emerging from the shadows. It was none other than Christie.

The ninja merely smirked and replied, "Well, at least you'll give me a better time. I'm going to make you pay for running away like a coward."

"Not if I make you pay first for always interfering with my work," the assassin replied back. "You and all of those other ninjas are always sticking your noses into other people's business when you shouldn't. I'll see that this will be the last time you will ever do that."

As Christie took her She Quan stance, Ayane readied herself. The assassin was a more capable fighter than the thugs. So she knew that she was going to be there for a while.

The assassin closed in on the ninja and the two exchanged blows in an instant. They attacked each other with powerful punches, evading the attacks. Christie then backed a little and leaped forward, delivering kicks in the air. Ayane quickly spun away and countered with a powerful kick of her own. The kick hit Christie and made her fly backwards, but the silver-haired woman blocked it with her arms and rolled back up once she hit the floor. Ayane then charged in and performed a series of punches and kicks, but the assassin dodged all of the attacks swiftly. All of a sudden, when she dodged Ayane's punched, she thrust her fingers into the ninja's right arm. The violet-haired girl yelped in pain and suddenly felt her arm go numb. Before she knew it, Christie kicked her in the back, causing the ninja to hit the ground hard.

After Ayane, she yelled, "Coward! What have you done to my arm!"

The assassin smirked as she replied, "I've just hit the pressure point at your arm. The numbness will be there for quite some time, so you won't be able to use it for a while. Now I should have no problem in killing you."

Christie rushed in and continuously attacked the ninja, who was helplessly dodging the punches. She knew that she had to fight back, but with one of her arms rendered useless, fighting back was almost impossible.

_Darn . . . How can I fight with one numb arm? I need to think of something before-_

Suddenly, Christie thrust her fingers into Ayane's left knee, hitting another pressure point. The ninja screamed in pain as her entire leg began to swell. Then the assassin kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying towards a nearby pillar. The ninja banged against it hard, and even more pain traveled all over her back. She fell to the floor, but she could not get up. Two of her limbs were now useless and she couldn't move. Then she saw the assassin, standing next to her body and pointing a gun at her face.

"At long last, I'm finally able to defeat you. Say good-bye, ninja."

Ayane did not say anything and tried to stay calm. Silently, she drew a small needle with her left arm. She still had something up her sleeve and was not going to let the assassin kill her. This was her last chance.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, in Alpha Wolf's room<strong>

Alpha Wolf stomped into his large room and carelessly tossed Hitomi onto the bed. He took off his glasses, took off his jacket, and undid his tie. His golden eyes were suddenly filled with lust and his mind became clouded with dirty thoughts of raping the girl.

"Well now, Hitomi," he said. "It's time for you to pay for failing to do as you were told. You've been a bad girl. I do not have your father's dojo, and that has made me very mad. But I can still think of other ways to break your father's heart."

He then climbed on top of Hitomi, who was still unconscious. She was really knocked out cold by Christie and had not woken up for hours. The man reached up and groped her breasts. He squeezed them tightly, feeling the large flesh. He instantly became even more drunk with lust.

"I wonder how your father will break down when he finds out that his precious little girl was fucked up."

But before he could begin, his door was broken down by an intruder, and he himself was knocked off of Hitomi and the bed. He quickly got up to his feet and saw that it was none other than Hayate, who was standing beside the bed and holding the girl in his arms.

"You make any attempt to hurt this girl and I will kill you!" shouted the ninja.

All of a sudden, Hitomi started to move and gave a loud moan. Hayate looked down on her as she slowly opened her baby blue eyes. She looked up at Hayate and returned his gaze.

"Hayate . . . what's going on? . . . Where are we?"

The ninja gave a sigh of relief and pulled her close to his chest. "Thank goodness you're alright, Hitomi. Don't worry. You're safe now."

Alpha Wolf smirked as he wiped the blood that was sipping out through the cut on his lip. "You think that you have already won ninja? You don't know how wrong you are."

Hayate quickly helped Hitomi to her feet and backed her towards the door, placing himself between her and Alpha Wolf. "I don't know what your real intentions are for hurting Hitomi but I won't let you harm her."

The black-haired man shook his head furiously as he growled, "I can't believe this is happening to me. My plans have been ruined because of you Hayate! You just destroy them every single time! And that darn assassin just poisoned you instead of killing you right on the spot when she had the chance! I've had enough of you Hayate! I'm going to kill you first now!"

He then lunged at Hayate. But the ninja quickly pushed Hitomi away and dodged the thug leader's attack. Alpha Wolf continued to swing punches at Hayate, who kept on blocking and dodging them, waiting for the right opportunity to counterattack. It took a while, but that opportunity finally came when Alpha Wolf clumsily swung a punch and stumbled. The ninja knee-kicked the thug leader in the stomach, causing him to stumble towards the wall. Hayate gave him no opportunity to catch his breath and repeatedly punched Alpha Wolf in the chest. It looked like the ninja had the upper hand. But as he was about to deliver his final punch, the thug leader surprised him by grabbing his wrist, pulling him close and giving a few uppercuts before throwing him onto the bed. As Alpha Wolf lunged himself towards Hayate, the ninja quickly brought his feet up and kicked the thug leader away as hard as he could. The black-haired man tried to regain himself, but his opponent quickly got off the bed and kicked him really hard towards the window.

Then all of a sudden, Hayate created a powerful ninpo in his hands. After charging it long enough, he thrust the ball of blue light towards Alpha Wolf. The thug leader could not move away in time and was hit. He was flung towards the window and he smashed through it. Pieces of glass flew all over the place and Alpha Wolf fell out of the building.

The ninja then turned towards Hitomi, who was watching the entire fight and unable to move. Her eyes were widened with shock and her face was frozen with fear. With a calm voice, Hayate told her, "I want you to stay here and be safe."

Before the girl could say anything, Hayate quickly jumped out of the hole in the wall. Hitomi just stood there for a long time, unsure of what to do.

_Hayate saved my life, and now he's risking his own by battling Alpha Wolf, _she thought. _There's a chance that he might get hurt, but . . . can I be of any help to him?_

The brunette thought for a moment. She knew that it would be dangerous, but she had to help Hayate. She just couldn't stand and watch, not doing anything to help.

_ I have to do this. I need to help Hayate in stopping Alpha Wolf. Besides, I need to know why that thug is doing all of this to me and my father._

As she ran to the hole she said, "Sorry Hayate. But I'm coming."

* * *

><p>Hayate safely landed on the ground and quickly scanned his surroundings. It was an old abandoned construction site for another building. All around him, there were metal beams that were to be the skeleton of the construction. Some walls were put up, creating very dark shadows. There were also a few cranes that were holding several beams in the air, and near a wall was an electric generator. It was giving off a few sparks of electricity, so it was still working. Some lights were on, allowing Hayate to see some places in the darkness, but there were still some very dark places all around him.<p>

As he made his way to the center of the construction, the ninja calmly looked around, trying to find Alpha Wolf. But the man was nowhere in sight. He was hiding somewhere, probably trying to plan out a surprised attack. Hayate had to find him quickly and stop him from trying to hurt Hitomi.

As he stood where he was, Hayate heard something with his sharp ears. It was very faint but he knew that there were footsteps that were closing in on him from behind. Suddenly, he heard a swooshing sound of something being swung at him. He quickly ducked and punched his attacker in the stomach and head, causing him to stumble back. The light shining on the attacker showed that he was Alpha Wolf, but he was in very bad shape. His clothes were stained with blood and dirt. Cuts were all over his face and his left eye was black and barely opened.

With a shaky voice, Alpha Wolf groaned, "You . . . have ruined . . . everything ninja. I'm going to make you . . . pay for all of this."

Hayate asked, "Why are you so obsessed with trying to hurt Hitomi and her father? Why are you doing all of this?"

The raven-haired man gave a little chuckled and answered, "Isn't it . . . obvious boy? I want revenge . . . because Hitomi's father . . . has badly humiliated me . . ."

* * *

><p>Well, there you have it. I promise that I will upload the next chapter as soon as possible. I'm aiming to finish this story before <em>Dead or Alive 5 <em>comes out. For those that are worried about Ayane, there is no need to. She'll come out alive. How she will do so will be revealed in the next chapter. Also, Alpha Wolf's desire for revenge will be fully explained.

As always, I love it if you leave reviews. Stay tuned.


	10. Wolf's Last Howl

Hey everyone. I managed to quickly write this chapter and upload it. Like I said before, I want to be done with this fic before _Dead or Alive 5 _comes out in September. After this one, there's only a few chapters left. So this story is about to be done soon.

So enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: Wolf's Last Howl<p>

Hayate was shocked at what he just heard from Alpha Wolf. This man wanted revenge on Hitomi's father for humiliating him? The ninja could not believe it.

"Hitomi's father humiliated you? But how? How could he have possibly done that?"

The raven-haired man sneered as he answered, "That man and I were training under the same master of karate. We both mastered karate, but only one of us was to become his apprentice and eventually take his place. I was supposed to be his apprentice. I was stronger, fiercer. I was never intimidated by anything. I had all the qualities of a master. That bastard was too soft and too gentle and was always a good boy; doing everything he was ordered to do. I was clearly the better man."

The ninja's dark brown eyes narrowed as the thug continued, "The master arranged a duel between the two of us to determine who would become the apprentice. I should have won the fight because I knew karate better. But somehow I was defeated, very badly. I was convinced that he somehow cheated because he pulled off moves that I never knew. He definitely had some special lessons with the master. After my loss, I vowed to make him pay for stealing what was rightfully mine. I tried to extract my revenge by entering the same tournaments that he entered, but every single time, he defeated me. No matter how strong I got, he was always stronger than me.

"So I decided to disappear from society and joined the underworld. I figured that I would have a better chance for revenge if I had an alliance with darkness. That's how I became a thug leader and got my pack of thugs. Then I caught wind of my rival opening up a dojo, and I decided that I should steal that which he had worked so hard and spilled so much sweat on. I would take his reward, and when he became ill, I took the opportunity. Of course, his stubborn daughter would not hand it over quietly. So I decided to use force by hurting the students. That way, they would be afraid of taking more lessons and not going to the dojo, therefore driving it out of business."

He then pointed his crowbar at Hayate as his gold wolf-like eyes widened in anger. "But then YOU came along and ruined everything. I couldn't have more students beaten up because you beat up my thugs. Even when I had you kidnapped to force Hitomi to make an exchange between you and the dojo, somehow you two slipped from my fingers. And now, you stand in my way for the last time."

Suddenly, the two of them heard a voice call out, "Not if I stop you first!"

Alpha Wolf quickly turned behind and saw Hitomi running up to him. She quickly knocked the bar out of his hand with a kick and fought with a few punches. But the thug dodged her attacks and soon caught hold of her wrist, bringing it behind her back along with her other arm. As he held her wrists with one hand, he drew a pocket knife with his other hand and held it at her neck.

He then said to Hayate, "Don't do anything funny or else I will slit her throat."

The ninja silently cursed at himself. He should have realized that Hitomi would not listen to him and follow him. Now she's in danger and might get killed. But then, he suddenly remembered something and drew his hand into his back pocket. He felt tiny spheres, which were miniature smoke bombs.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Flashback<strong>_

_ "Here, Master Hayate," said Ayane. "You should take these."_

_ The red-brown-haired ninja watched as his violet-haired companion placed smoke bombs in his hands. She then continued, "You never know if these will actually come in handy. It's better to be safe than sorry."_

_ Hayate smiled, as he was glad that she was always having his back. He then replied, "Thanks, Ayane. I got a feeling that I might have to use these soon."_

_**End of flashback**_

* * *

><p>As he drew the smoke bombs carefully and silently, Hayate thought to himself, <em>I better pull this off, or else Hitomi will lose her life. I have to, because this is my only chance to save her.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, back at the main hall<strong>

As Christie wrapped her finger around the trigger, she mockingly asked Ayane, "Do you have any last words before I take your life?"

The ninja secretly readied her needle as she coldly replied, "I'm not through yet, not by a long shot."

Suddenly, she stabbed her right arm with the needle. Giving only a yelp for the unbearable pain, she darted away to avoid getting hit. The assassin quickly fired for the ninja's head, but missed, as it just scrapped off a bit of her violet hair and ripped her dark purple headband off. Then Ayane quickly stabbed her left leg, giving off a small wince. Christie continued to fire, but the ninja swiftly dodged the bullets as she got closer and closer to her opponent. The assassin realized that Ayane was closing in on her and tried to back off quickly, but it was too late.

The ninja knee kicked the assassin in the diaphragm, flinging her several feet away. Christie got up as fast as she could, but Ayane gave her no time to rest as she attacked with several quick punches. The silver-haired woman could only defend helplessly as she was starting to become overpowered.

_How can this be? _Christie thought to herself. _I've paralyzed her arm and leg, so she shouldn't be able to move at all. But now she's relentlessly attacking me as if she's not feeling any pain at all. What was that thing she stabbed herself with? What in the world did it do to her? Did it somehow get rid of the paralysis? Damn it! I can't think right now! I have to do something before I lose!_

But as Christie tried to clear her mind, Ayane spun kicked her at her side, banging her on the wall. Trying to fight back, the assassin drew out her hidden knife and threw it at the ninja. But the violet-haired girl caught it by the hilt and threw it back, successfully pinning her opponent back against the wall. As Ayane closed in on her with a powerful kick, Christie quickly pulled away and dodged the attack, leaving a torn part of her black leather jacket on the wall embedded within the knife.

Ayane did not stop and continued to attack Christie with a series of punches and kicks. The assassin blocked them as best as she could, hoping to see an opening. When she saw her opponent's chest unguarded, she desperately aimed for it with her fist, hoping to successfully counterattack. But Ayane knew that she would do something like that and blocked the attack with such great forced that Christie was left stunned and wide open. The ninja then delivered several punches at her opponent's head and stomach before spinning around behind her and kicked her hard in the back. The assassin was sent flying towards a pillar and banged on it really hard with her stomach before falling to the floor.

Christie slowly got up and leaned herself against the pillar, as her body was still in pain. "I-Impossible . . ." she muttered. "How are you . . . still able to move?"

As she charged up her ninpo, Ayane smirked as she replied, "I used a special acupuncture needle that is designed to neutralize numbness and swelling. I got to admit that you did catch me by surprise, but I always prepare myself for the unexpected. That is why you will never be able to defeat a true ninja like me."

Suddenly, her body began to glow with a purple aura and she created a ball of purple light in her hands as she yelled, "Let's see if you can survive this!"

With all her strength, Ayane thrust her ninpo spell at Christie, who was unable to move and evade the attack. The assassin was hit instantly and flung out of a nearby window. Ayane ran up to the broken window to see where her enemy was. But it was pitch black outside, and there was no light that could help her see through the darkness.

_That darn assassin might still be alive_, she thought to herself. _I have to admit, someone like her cannot die so easily, even from a ninpo spell._

Ayane turned and headed deeper into Wolf's Den. She knew that she had more important matters to attend to.

_I'll let that bitch live for now. Right now, I must find Master Hayate and see if he's alright._

With these thoughts in her mind, the ninja ran as fast as she could.

* * *

><p><strong>Back outside<strong>

Hayate drew out his smoke bombs from his pocket, hiding them behind his back. But Alpha Wolf saw the ninja's arm move and pressed the blade harder at Hitomi's neck, drawing a thin stream of blood. The brunette panicked and started to cry, for she feared that her end was near.

The thug's golden eyes narrowed on Hayate as he shouted, "I said not to do anything or I'll kill this girl!"

The ninja calmly replied, "You will not kill her. I won't allow it."

In an instant, he threw the bombs, creating a gray cloud of smoke around them. Alpha Wolf's eyes were stunned by the smoke, forcing him to close them, and he began to gag. He lost hold of Hitomi, who was also stunned by the bombs and covering her mouth and eyes. He tried to reach out and grab hold of her again, but his arm was suddenly grabbed and his entire body was pulled. Before he could do anything, he was kicked really hard in the back and he skidded on the ground.

He lifted his head in pain as the smoke cleared. He soon saw Hayate in front of Hitomi, keeping her safe from harm.

When he started to get up, he yelled, "Hayate . . . Damn you!"

All of a sudden, Alpha Wolf drew another knife and charged at the two of them in desperation. But as he swung the blade, the ninja kicked at his hand, knocking the knife away. Then Hitomi punched Alpha Wolf in the stomach several times before she and Hayate performed a double kick together, sending him flying.

The thug got up again, but this time his attention was on the girl. He charged in on her with the intent on killing her. He didn't care about anything else anymore, not even Hayate. He just wanted his revenge no matter what, even if he had to sacrifice his own life.

As Alpha Wolf closed in on Hitomi, Hayate was about to stop the thug when suddenly he saw the girl's bright blue eyes. They were filled with determination and courage and he saw a desire to fight by herself. This was a battle that she had to finish alone.

With one desperate attack, the thug swung a punch at her, but she quickly backed away and dodged, causing him to stumble. She then double elbowed him in the chest, following with two punches and a kick in the stomach. Then for a brief second, Hitomi drew all of her strength into her right fist, filling it with her own power. Finally, with everything she could give, she delivered a powerful punch at Alpha Wolf's chest, sending him flying towards the generator. When he was banged against it, the machine short circuited and its powerful sent the man flying once again in the air before landing hard on the ground.

Much to Hitomi and Hayate's surprise, one of the cranes was suddenly moving and spinning out of control. The beams that were being held were swinging wildly in every direction. As Alpha Wolf tried to get up once more, he saw the beams flying across the air above. Suddenly, the chains of the crane broke off, releasing the beams that fell where the thug was.

Alpha Wolf could not move his body, and as the beams fell on top of him, he gave one last cry.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

In an instant, his voice fell silent as all of the beams fell onto the ground, crushing the man underneath. Hitomi slowly walked up to the debris to see if he was still alive, but quickly turned her head away in disgust when a large pool of blood began to form underneath the beams. Hayate quickly held her in his arms as she buried her head into his chest. The fight was finally over.

The two of them hugged each other for a long time before Hayate pulled away and asked her, "Why didn't you listen to me and stayed put? You could have been killed."

With tears in her eyes she replied, "I . . . didn't want you to fight alone . . . I'm sorry . . ."

The ninja gave a long sigh before he drew her back into another hug as he said, "It's fine. What matters most is that you're alright."

Hitomi wrapped her arms around his neck and let her fingers tangle themselves into his red-brown hair as they drew each other closer. They didn't care about anything else at that moment. All they thought about was each other, and how relieved they were of each other being alright. They didn't have to worry about Alpha Wolf anymore. It was all over.

From a nearby ledge, Ayane watched as Hayate and Hitomi hugged each other. She gave a small smile as she saw that they never needed her help. She had watched about half of the fight and saw the two of them easily defeating Alpha Wolf. Everything was alright.

* * *

><p>The police arrived just minutes after Hitomi called them in with a phone she found within Wolf's Den. The thugs were immediately arrested and taken away to jail. Police officers managed to retrieve Alpha Wolf's body from the debris and confirmed that he was dead. They covered the body and took it away for investigation. An ambulance also arrived on the scene, but no one was needed to be taken to the hospital. Hitomi and Hayate only suffered a few cuts and bruises, so they only needed to have their wounds covered.<p>

Much to their annoyances, several news broadcasting crews arrived on the scene as well, wanting some answers as to what happened. Hitomi turned to Hayate and said, "Don't worry. I'll handle them and make sure that I'll answer all of their questions."

The ninja smiled as he patted her on the back and replied, "Alright. But try not to take too long. I'm starting to get tired and I don't want to stay here forever."

The brunette nodded and headed over to the reporters, answering their questions as best as she could. While she was busy, Hayate looked to see if no one was watching him. When he saw that no one was, he quickly headed for the shadows where Ayane was waiting for him.

"Are you alright, Ayane?"

"Of course I am, Master. I told you that I would be alright. I had a little bit of trouble with the assassin that Alpha Wolf hired, but she couldn't beat me."

"Assassin?"

"Yes. And it's the same assassin that was working for Donovan in the tournaments. She was the one who tried to kill you with poison and revealed your true identity to Alpha Wolf."

"Well that certainly answers a lot of questions. Do you know where she is now?"

"I'm not sure. I managed to defeat her, but she escaped. She could be anywhere watching us right now."

"Well, don't worry about her. Listen, Ayane. I'm sorry that I got you involved. I didn't want you, Kasumi, or Ryu to be involved in all of this mess. I wanted to handle it with just Hitomi. But I ended up needing your help to save Hitomi. I apologize."

"It's okay, Master. Don't blame yourself for what happened. Anyways, I need to go back now to the village. I trust that you'll come back soon?"

"Yes. In about a week after Hitomi's father has fully recovered."

"Alright. I'll see you then. Take care, Master."

Hayate watched as Ayane disappeared, leaving a couple of iris petals dancing in the air. He smiled, as he was glad to know that there would always be someone to watch his back. He then returned to where he was and continued to watch Hitomi as she was still answering questions from so many reporters.

From a distance, Christie watched the whole scene with the police and the reporters. Her black leather clothes were torn everywhere and her skin was filled with cuts, bruises and burns. She really took that last ninpo attack from Ayane really hard and she was hurt really badly. When her grey eyes caught sight of Hayate, she sneered in disgust.

"You should enjoy your little victory while it lasts. Next time we meet, I'll kill you for sure, along with your fellow ninjas."

She then turned and hurried away into the night, not wanting to get caught.

* * *

><p><strong>An hour later, at Hitomi's apartment<strong>

Hitomi unlocked her door and swung it right open, as she was finally glad to be home. She stretched out her arms real high and gave out a long yawn as she kicked off her boots, tired from everything that happened in the entire day.

"Man, all those darn reporters kept on asking question after question nonstop. I thought that I would never see the end of it."

Hayate followed close behind her into her apartment, giving a small chuckle. He was a bit amused of Hitomi as he thought that her comment was a bit funny.

"Well it's all over now, Hitomi. You can get plenty of rest tonight with no worries at all."

The brunette turned and looked at him with her light blue eyes, giving a sad smile. She then slowly walked up to him and hugged him tightly. Her head was buried into his chest and tears dampened his white shirt. Hayate was shocked, but said nothing as he silently decided to return her hug by wrapping his arms around her bare waist below her leather crop top.

He then heard her mumble, "I'm so sorry, Hayate. I made you worry so much. You had to go through hell just to save me. I'm so sorry . . . So sorry . . . I'm sorry . . ."

Hayate sighed and gave her a kiss on the top of her head as he replied, "It's alright Hitomi. Everything is over now. All that matters is that you are safe and well. That's all I've ever cared about this entire time."

Hitomi pulled him closer to her body, as if she was replying back. Hayate smiled and continued to hold her in his arms. He reached for her light brown hair and patted it gently repeatedly, loving her soft silky strands. They continued to hug each other at where they stood for a couple of minutes until Hayate pulled away, leaving Hitomi a bit confused.

"You should get some rest now, Hitomi. It's really getting late."

The girl slowly nodded her head and replied, "Alright. Good night, Hayate."

She then turned and headed for her room, slowly closing the door behind her. Hayate then pulled out the bed from the couch and lied down on top of it. But he didn't fall asleep. He just stared at the ceiling. His mind was full of thoughts of things that lied ahead.

_It won't be long now. Soon, I will return to my village once Hitomi's father has made a full recovery and can come back. My debt will be paid and I will have no reason to stay here anymore . . . I have to go back to the village. I cannot abandon my duties as the leader of the Mugen Tenshin clan. I gave them my word that I will return. I will be done with what I came here to do. I promised Hitomi and her father that I will stay here until he's better enough to teach at the dojo again._

He turned on his side, hoping that sleep would overtake his body. But it didn't work, and his mind was still filled with thoughts.

_But once I leave Germany and return to my village in Japan . . . I won't be able to see Hitomi again. I'm still in love with her. That's why I was willing to risk my own life to save hers. I just couldn't afford to lose her. I would continue to live my life in regret if I let something happen to her . . . She means the whole world to me . . . I love her . . ._

At last, the slumber he had hoped for finally came and he started to fall asleep. But tears began to form in his dark brown eyes and they dropped on and dampened his pillow.

_If only we didn't have our own separate lives . . . If only we could be together forever . . . I don't want to leave Hitomi . . . I love her . . ._

* * *

><p>Hitomi took a quick shower to clean herself up before putting on her blue pajamas. She then tucked herself under her navy blue blanket and lied on her bed. But she had some trouble falling asleep.<p>

_I can't believe how time just flew by so quickly. My dad will be out of the hospital and will be running the dojo again. That means that Hayate will be done here and will return to his village. And I will be moving on with the rest of my life._

Suddenly, her blue eyes began to swell up with tears and she buried her face into her pillow. She just couldn't bear about what was going to happen.

_This will be the last time I will ever see Hayate again . . . No . . . I don't want him to go . . . I love him and I know that he loves me too . . . I want to tell him about my feelings for him . . . let him know that I love him. If only he could stay and live with me. If only he didn't have his darn responsibilities as the leader of his clan. We could be together forever._

Hitomi moved her face to the side so she could breathe. But that did not ease her pain.

_Who am I kidding? There's no way it could work. I know that he cannot abandon his village and needs to return once he's done here . . . But I can't let him go. I've never felt this way towards any guy other than Hayate. Whenever he pops up in my mind, I'm at ease. I feel better whenever he's beside me. I just love him so much . . ._

Her eyes suddenly began to close as she drifted into slumber. But there were still tears in her eyes.

_If only we could be together . . . forever . . . I don't want to say goodbye . . ._

* * *

><p>Well there you have it folks. Alpha Wolf is dead and gone, and Hitomi and Hayate do not have to worry about him anymore. But can they tell about their love for each other before it's too late? You're just gonna have to wait and see. As always, please review! And don't worry, the really good stuff will come soon.<p> 


	11. Final Night

What's up readers? Wow. I have once again managed to write an upload a new chapter. Pretty impressive, huh? For those who have been waiting for the juicy stuff, it's finally here cuz there's a pretty good lemon. Now, I'm going to admit that I don't support sex before marriage. But I needed to add this lemon to my story.

So with that being said, enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 11: Final Night<p>

Two days after the incident with Alpha Wolf, the dojo was up and running again. The students and their parents were informed the day before that it was not closing down and all was well. Hitomi and Hayate were once again ready to give the lessons. When the children arrived at the dojo, they were really worried about their two mentors. But much to their relief, the two of them were fine. Soon, everything went back to normal.

A few days later, on a sunny Saturday afternoon during lunch, Hitomi's cell phone rang and she saw that it was her father calling her.

Pressing SEND, she answered, "Hello?"

On the other end of the line, she heard a deep and strong voice replying, "Hello, Hitomi."

"Dad, is that you? You sure sound different."

"Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised to hear you say that. I'm actually feeling better, and I'm calling to let you know the good news. I'm well enough to finally leave the hospital and I will be home tomorrow. I'll finally get back into managing the dojo again."

"Really? That's great Dad! Everyone here at the dojo has missed you a whole lot!"

"Is that so? Well let them know about the good news too, honey. Now listen, Hitomi. I know about the incident with Alpha Wolf. I saw it on the news and you were there."

"You saw me?"

"Yes, sweetie. Look, don't worry about it right now. We'll talk about it later, okay? And don't forget to tell Ein that I said thank you for all of his help."

"Okay, Dad. I'll see you when you get back. I love you."

"I love you too, Hitomi."

She then pressed the END button and turned towards everyone as she said with a clear and loud voice, "Everyone! My father's all better now and will be returning home tomorrow! So he'll be back to teach lessons on Monday!"

In an instant, all of the children began to cheer in joy, as they were glad that their sensei was coming back. Some of the instruction assistants were relieved of the good news, while a few others asked Hitomi if it was really true, as if they could not believe what she just told them. During all of this celebration, Hitomi looked towards Hayate, who was returning her gaze. He gave her a small and sad smile, as he knew that his time in Germany was almost over and he had to go back to Japan. She too gave the same kind of smile as she understood. This would be Hayate's last time at the dojo.

* * *

><p><strong>Later, at 5 p.m.<strong>

Another long hard day had passed and the lessons were over. Parents came over to pick up their kids and the instruction assistants soon left one after another.

Before they left with their parents, Ralph and Laura quickly ran up to Hayate, who had just finished with helping Hitomi in putting all of the equipment away.

"Ein," asked Laura. "Are you really gonna leave us and go back home?"

Hayate gave her a small smile as he patted her head and replied, "I'm afraid so. I promised to stay here and help until Hitomi's father is all better and can return. Now that he has fully recovered, my time here is done."

The little girl's aqua eyes began to swell up with tears and she suddenly wrapped her arms around Hayate's lower waist. She then mumbled, "We'll miss you, Ein . . . We'll miss you very much . . ."

Hayate responded by wrapping his arms around her back and replied, "I'll miss you guys too."

Ralph then asked, "But you'll come back and visit, right? I mean, you don't have to come back all the time. But can't you at least visit us once in a while?"

Hayate let go of Laura and turned his attention toward the boy. The man could see that the young lad really did not want to say good bye forever. He wanted to see him again. He placed his hands on the boy's shoulders and replied, "I can't promise anything for sure, Ralph, but . . . I will do whatever I can, alright?"

The boy nodded and hugged him, letting the man know how great his desire was to see him again. He then pulled away and took his little sister by the hand, running off to their parents. They quickly looked back and gave a wave at Hayate, who responded with a small wave of his own.

Hitomi then walked up to Hayate and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Why don't we go eat out somewhere for tonight? It'll be my treat."

Hayate looked at her with his dark brown eyes and replied, "Sure. It's my last night here. I might as well make it as memorable as I can."

After they quickly closed down the dojo for the day, Hitomi and Hayate went out and ate at her favorite Japanese restaurant. The two of them had a very great time, as their chef was right in front of them giving them a great show as he cooked their food. They laughed and cried over great and silly things as they enjoyed their dinner. The air surrounding the two was full of happiness. They even forgot that it was Hayate's last night in Germany before he had to return to his village. But that fact came back to them when they were done and headed for home. Even though they kept their conversations up during the walk, that fact still lingered on both of their minds. It really made them sad inside.

* * *

><p>Finally, they reached Hitomi's apartment and they started preparing for the night. The two of them pulled out the couch bed for one last time, and then Hayate packed his belongings, wanting to be ready to leave the following morning. He knew that his journey back home would be quite a long one.<p>

As Hitomi watched him organize his belongings, she asked, "So . . . are you all prepared for tomorrow?"

"Yep. I seem to have everything. I want to leave first thing in the morning so that I can have a good head start."

"Wow . . . you really want to get back as soon as you can, huh?"

"Yes, Hitomi. And I must. I promised my clan that I would return as soon as your father's health had been fully restored and my debt to the both of you has been paid. I must attend to my duties as the head of the Mugen Tenshin clan."

Suddenly, tears began to form in Hitomi's eyes as she asked, "So you won't miss me?"

Hayate quickly turned and looked at her, seeing that she was starting to become hurt. He hurriedly placed his bag near the couch bed and ran up to Hitomi, hugging her tightly.

"Hitomi, please don't get the wrong idea. Of course I'll miss you. I truly wished that I had some more time to spend with you."

The girl wrapped her arms around him and drew him closer. She was truly saddened that he had to leave. She knew that she had to accept it and move on with her life. But there was still a part of her that wanted her dream to be fulfilled.

"What if you . . . could stay here forever?"

Hayate pulled back, as he was shocked by her question. She was asking him to stay. She wanted him to be with her. But he knew that couldn't happen.

"Hitomi . . . you know that I can't . . . I have to go back . . ."

More tears came flooding out of her sky blue eyes and went down her cheeks. "But . . . I don't . . . want you to leave . . ."

"Please try to understand, Hitomi. I can't just abandon my duties as the leader of my clan."

"I know . . . but . . . I can't let you go . . ."

Hayate shook his head in confusion as he said, "I don't understand, Hitomi. Why are you suddenly acting this way and wanting me to stay?"

For a brief second, she stared into his brown eyes. He was asking her why she wanted him to not leave and stay with her. This was her chance.

"Because . . . I love you . . ."

Hayate's eyes became wider in shock. She just told him that she was in love with him. He could not believe it. All this time, he never knew that Hitomi felt the same way about him. Suddenly, before he could say anything, Hitomi tiptoed on her feet and placed her lips on his.

At that moment, it was as if the whole world had stopped time for just that glimpse of them locking their lips together. Hayate could do nothing as he was still in shock. Hitomi had just confessed her love for him and now she was giving him a kiss. It was unbelievable. The girl he was in love with was showing her feelings. All of a sudden, his eyes closed and he slowly wrapped his arms around her slim waist, drawing her closer to his body. Hitomi moaned in surprise during the kiss. He was showing just how much he loved her as well.

Then the two of them pulled away for air and looked into each other's eyes. Hitomi tried to find the right words to say now that she confessed that she loved him. But she was at a loss and couldn't figure out what to say next.

"Hayate . . . I . . ."

But then he pressed his finger on her lips, silencing her and letting her know that she didn't have to say anything. Removing his finger, he pressed his own lips on hers and drew her in for another kiss. This time, it was more passionate, as their arms were wrapped around each other, pulling the two of them closer together. Hayate then opened his mouth and licked Hitomi's lips with his tongue, wanting to penetrate them and explore her mouth. She complied with his silent request and opened her own mouth. In an instant, their tongues were dancing as they explored each other's mouths. The friction between them increased as their bodies began to rub. Hitomi moaned louder as the sensation swept every inch of her. But it wasn't enough for her. She wanted so much more.

After they pulled away from each other once again, Hitomi took a few steps back, distancing herself from Hayate and leaving him confused. She then grabbed the bottom of her white tank top and pulled it over her head, revealing her blue lacy bra that held her breasts in place. Hayate's eyes grew wider as he realized that she was stripping herself in front of him.

"Hitomi . . . we can't—"

He was silenced when Hitomi came up to him and kissed him tenderly. He trembled as he felt her breasts rubbing against his chest. She was really becoming erect.

Hayate managed to pull away. "Hitomi, don't do this."

She looked up at his face with longing in her eyes as she said, "Please, Hayate . . . This is the last night we'll ever be together . . . We'll never have another chance . . . I know that who have to return your village. I understand that . . . So please . . . stay with me tonight. Just this one night. It's all that I ask of you. This night is more than enough for me. I'll cherish it forever in my heart . . . Please . . . Hayate . . . Just for tonight . . ."

She then lifted his white shirt and began tracing her fingers on his well toned muscles. She felt every inch of his chest and playfully pinched his nipples. Hayate couldn't bring himself to stop her. He was losing himself with the sensations that were overtaking his body. His desires for her completely overtook his mind. He took off his shirt and drew Hitomi towards himself. The two of them were locked in another kiss and the friction between intensified to a whole new level.

Hayate's hands roamed all over Hitomi's waist, tracing every inch of her soft skin. Then all of a sudden, he moved lower until he reached her white belt. He carefully removed it from her waist and moved his fingers to the button and zipper of her jeans. Hitomi pulled away and looked down, watching Hayate as he continued to strip her. He slowly undid the button and brought down the zipper. Bringing his hands back to her hips, he pushed her jeans down her legs, revealing a blue thong that covered her womanhood.

Hitomi looked into Hayate's eyes. She saw that he understood what she wanted and that he wanted the same thing. She smiled as she realized that he wanted to spend the night with her as well. Backing up to the couch bed, she sat down at the end, motioning seductively with her fingers for Hayate to come to her. He complied and walked up to her. Capturing her lips into his own, he tucked his hands under her round bottom and lifted her body, laying her down completely on the bed with himself on top of her.

After a long kiss, Hayate drew away to look into Hitomi's eyes once more, wanting to see if she really wanted to do it. But he saw that she was absolutely sure. He needed no reassurance. She was ready. He then bent down and planted several kisses on her neck. He was careful not to use his teeth, as he did not want to ruin her beautiful cream colored skin with red marks. Hayate then continued to go lower, kissing the juncture of her neck and shoulder. He then pushed himself up and brought his hands to her breasts. He traced the lacy part of her bra before he drove his hand in, feeling her erect nipple. Hitomi moaned out in pleasure at his touch, but suddenly began to whimper as she wanted more than what he was giving her.

"Hayate . . . more . . ."

He knew what she wanted, for he had the same desire as well. He tucked his hands under her back and unclasped her bra. After he pulled it off of her body and tossed it on the floor, Hayate marveled at the sight of her breasts. They were perfectly round and had the perfect size. Their nipples were as pink as cherry blossoms. For Hayate, it was a sight to behold.

He then brought his hands up again and cupped her breasts, as if he was weighing them. Hitomi moaned loudly as he squeezed the mounds of flesh. He played with her breasts by flattening and rubbing them. His hands were upon her nipples, which were becoming more erect as he continued to massage her breasts. His mind soon became clouded with lust at the very thought of her nipples.

Giving into his desires, he removed his hand that was on one of her breasts and replaced it with his mouth. Hitomi gasped in surprise and arched her back as she felt so much sensation coursing through her body. Hayate took the opportunity and wrapped his arms around her, getting closer to her. She then watched as he continued to suck on her nipple. He swirled his tongue around it before nibbling it softly with his teeth. Hitomi held onto his red brown hair as he turned his attention to the other breast. He did the same thing with licking, sucking, and nibbling on her nipple.

There was so much ecstasy running through Hitomi's body that she shifted under Hayate, creating even more friction between them. He detached his lips from her breasts and lifted himself so that his face hovered over hers. He then brought his head down and they kissed each other, once again letting their tongues roll with each other in a frenzy. His hand roamed all over her chest and stomach before it went lower and lower until he reached her thong. His fingers traced the outside of the garment, feeling the folds that lied underneath. Hitomi moaned during their kiss as she felt Hayate teasing her. Then before she knew it, he slipped his hands under her thong and began rubbing her folds with his fingers. She broke the kiss and gasped as she began to feel tortured by his touch of her pussy. Her hands were by her head and her nails drove themselves into her palms, as she tried to bear his teasing. Hayate soon became more erect himself, wanting even more, and pushed his fingers into her folds. He soon found her clitoris and began tracing small circles around it. Hitomi groaned as more sensation came flooding into her body. She didn't know how long she could last.

Hayate's mind became even more filled with lust as he felt her honey dripping onto his fingers. He drew his hand out of her pussy and licked his fingers, smelling the sweet aroma. Hitomi saw a lustful smile appear on his lips and knew that he wanted so much more.

He then moved up and kissed her again on the lips before leaving a trail of kisses on her neck. He planted a kiss on her chest between her breasts and continued lower towards her stomach. Hitomi lifted her head and watched as he played with her navel by rolling his tongue inside. Then he lifted himself and brought his hands to the sides of her thong. Hayate quickly looked up to see if she was scared and didn't want to continue. But the look in her sky blue eyes told him that she was ready and he didn't have to worry about her. Everything was alright.

Hayate grabbed both sides of the garment and gently pulled, slowly moving it down her slender legs. When it reached her feet, he tugged her thong off of her ankles and tossed it on the ground. He then took a good look at Hitomi's lower body, awed at her smooth beautiful legs. But what really got his attention was her sex. It was beginning to leak of her honey and was starting to become erect. He licked his lips with his tongue, unable to restrain his desire to taste her.

Wanting to tease her a little bit more, he lifted her leg and brought his head at her knee. He then planted kisses along her inner thigh, causing her to whimper at his teasing. Before she knew it, he moved closer and closer to her pussy, ravishing her sensitive skin with so many kisses. Finally, he reached his destination and slowly pushed her legs farther apart.

"Hayate . . ."

He lifted his face to Hitomi as he heard his name being called out by her voice. He could tell that she really wanted him. He gave her a smile as he knew and showed that he wanted her too. Bringing his head back down, he slowly began to lick her sex.

In an instant, Hitomi cried out in sheer bliss as she finally felt his lips on her pussy. His tongue was being dragged all over her soft folds as he wanted to take his time. She brought her hands upon his red brown hair and pushed his head further in, letting him know of her desire to go in deeper. He silently granted her request and drove his tongue into her pussy, licking every single inch. He could smell the toxic aroma of her honey and tasted it. Her fluids were so sweet and he licked like a madman, wanting more. Hitomi's voice picked up in volume as she felt his tongue working faster inside of her. There was so much pleasure coursing through her body that she felt like she was about to reach her climax. Hayate then found her clitoris and pressed his lips on it, sucking on the sensitive bud and bringing it to full bloom. Hitomi moved her hands from his hair and gripped the bed sheets. She started shouting out his name as she found herself lost in a world of pleasure.

As he continued to suck on her clitoris, Hayate moved one hand under her buttocks so he could get in deeper. His other hand moved up reached for her breast and cupped it. Then his fingers played with her nipple as he rubbed and pinched it with them. Hitomi arched her body and brought her hand to her other breast as she did not want it to be left out alone. Finally, Hayate decided to finish by raking the sensitive pearl gently with his teeth. Hitomi could not hold back any longer and screamed his name one last time before falling limp on the bed.

It was all too good to be true for Hitomi. She never thought that this night would never come to pass. But because she built up her courage, her dream had finally become realized. She then felt Hayate's lips leaving her pussy and before she knew it his face was once again hovering over hers. Giving him a warm smile, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss. She tasted her honey that was inside his mouth and knew that he had enjoyed it. Her hands then pulled away from his neck and traveled down to his chest. Hayate pulled away and gave a soft moan, showing that he loved how she was touching his torso. She traced her fingers all over his six-pack, taking mental notes about every inch of him.

She then made a small circle around his navel before her hands traveled even lower. They made their way to the top of his brown pants at his waist. She slowly pushed the button out and unzipped the garment. Bringing her hand to the opening, she slipped her hand inside, going underneath his boxers. She soon found his penis and started tracing her fingers all over, feeling its hardness underneath the soft skin. Hayate groaned out in pleasure as her hand roamed all over his length. Spikes of pleasure began to travel all throughout his body. Then Hitomi grasped his penis and rubbed it against her palm, sending him in soaring ecstasy.

Hayate called out her name with such a loud moan that it made Hitomi realized that she was definitely returning at least a part of the pleasure that he had given her. He loved the attention that was being given to his length. He was becoming lost in a world of pleasure. Pulling out her hand, she helped him pushed down the last of his clothing, revealing all of his entire lower body.

For a moment, the two looked into each other's eyes. Hayate could tell that she wanted to go further and that he himself wanted the same thing. But he knew that he had to do something first. Pulling back, he reached for his pack and started searching inside for what he was looking for.

Pushing herself up, Hitomi watched Hayate with a confused look on her face. "What are you looking for?"

Finding what he wanted, he took it out and showed it to her. It was a condom wrapped in plastic. He then replied, "I had a feeling that something like this was going to happen. I really want you Hitomi. I truly love you and I want to do this with you. But I don't want you to get pregnant with a child. If you did, then there will be trouble for the both of us."

Slowly, he tore the plastic off and placed it over his entire penis. He then looked back into her eyes and continued, "That's why I got this a while ago before I went to that hospital and found you and your father. I hope that you understand, Hitomi. I just don't want to take the risk."

She gave him a heartfelt smile and pulled his face to hers, drawing him in for a quick kiss. Pulling away, she replied, "Of course, Hayate. I don't mind. Doing this with you is more than enough for me."

Hayate returned her smile with one of his own and locked their lips once more. He then held her as he gently laid her back down on the bed. Breaking the kiss, he positioned himself on top of her. He slowly opened her legs wider so he could get in between. His penis was right above her pussy, ready to penetrate through.

He then looked back into her eyes and said with a reassuring voice, "I'll start out slow. Just let me know when you want me to go faster."

She smiled and nodded. She had been waiting for this moment and could not wait anymore.

Gripping her hips, Hayate slowly pushed himself inside her. He soon stopped when he saw Hitomi wince in pain. He waited, letting her get used to his penis being inside her pussy. She moved her hips a little and her face became relaxed. Knowing she was ready, he slowly pulled himself out and pushed back in. Her insides were very cramped and were holding his length inside. Hitomi was still feeling a little bit of pain, but she could handle it. She kept her arms wrapped around his neck, letting him know that she trusted him.

He continued to pull out and push in his penis, giving slow and steady thrusts. Before Hitomi knew it, the pain began to fade away and immeasurable pleasure swept her entire body.

"Hayate . . . go faster . . ."

A lustful smile appeared on his face as he knew she was ready for him. Gradually, he picked up speed. His thrusts became faster and faster as he drove his length into her pussy. He felt her insides slowly loosening up and his penis being engulfed in the hot chamber of her sex. The heat was driving him crazy and caused him to speed up.

Hitomi continuously moaned his name faster every time he thrust into her. The sensation was building up within her and threatened to consume her whole. She quickly wrapped her legs around his waist with her heels digging into his buttocks, making him drive deeper into her pussy. Her nails began to dig themselves into his shoulders, sinking deeper with each thrust.

"Ha-Hayate . . . Oh . . . Oh . . ."

All of a sudden, the head of his penis hit the special spot within her and she cried out in sheer bliss. Hayate smiled, knowing that he finally found it: the most sensitive area in her pussy. He continued to thrust into her at greater speed. Knowing where the special spot was, he hit it with his penis every time.

Her cries became louder as his thrusts became faster and wilder. She tightened her legs around his waist and drove her nails deeper into the back of his shoulders, almost drawing up blood. Her breasts began to bounce up and down as he continued to slide his length in and out of her sex. With one hand, Hayate reached for one of her breasts, gripping it as it continued to bounce during his thrusts. Both of their bodies soon became drenched in their sweat as their session became wilder and wilder. The friction between them was about to consume both of them.

As he drove faster and faster into her pussy, Hayate could tell that Hitomi was almost at her climax. Her voice was screaming out so loud that it almost deafened his ears. He quickly paused and brought his lips to hers.

Pulling away, he whispered into her ear, "Just hang in there, Hitomi. I'll come with you."

Hitomi nodded as she continued to hold onto him. Hayate then gave several more thrusts, bringing the sensation to reach their climaxes. At long last, with one powerful thrust, they finally came. Hitomi cried out as her eyes were starting to see stars. She then heard his voice too as he gave a long moan. He came with her just as he promised. All of a sudden, he collapsed on top of her, tired from their long session of making love. His head was rested beside hers and she could hear him panting very loudly. Her fingers had left his shoulders, leaving nail marks on his tanned skin. Her arms now held him at his waist, holding him tightly, as she didn't want him to pull out just yet. Her legs were still wrapped around his waist and his penis was locked inside the hot chambers of her pussy. They were both soaking wet from their own sweat and they dampened the bed underneath them.

After a long time, Hayate finally pushed himself up so that his face was over hers. They looked into each other's eyes and smiled. Both of them truly enjoyed their love session. He then bent down and kissed her tenderly on the lips, letting her know that he too would cherish that night forever.

As they pulled away, Hitomi asked, "Hayate, can I ask you a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Can you quickly turn off the lights before we forget?"

Hayate blankly looked at her, surprised at her request. But he gave a little chuckle as he got up. He quickly took off his condom and threw it away before flicking the light switch and turning all the lights off. He then made his way back to the bed, where Hitomi was tucked under the bed sheets. He soon joined her under the blanket and lied down, gathering her into his arms once more.

They kissed each other again for another afterglow before they pulled away blissfully. Hitomi then took one of his hands and played with his fingers while she stared into his eyes lovingly.

"Thank you Hayate . . . This was definitely the best night of my entire life."

"The same for me . . . I just wished that we could have had more nights like this."

"It's okay. This one night was more than enough for me. I was able to give myself to you, expose my entire body to you, and make love with you . . . even share my first kiss with you. This was more than I can ever ask for."

"Well I'm glad that you're happy . . . Listen Hitomi. That first kiss you gave me wasn't actually our first one."

"What?"

"Remember that night when you felt depressed and asked me to watch over you until you fell asleep? Well after that I kissed you."

Hitomi's baby blue eyes became wide in shock, but then she relaxed and smiled as she cheerfully asked, "Really? Is that so?"

"Yeah. You don't seem angry."

She giggled as she replied, "Of course I'm not angry. In fact I'm happy. You fulfilled my desire of sharing my first kiss with you without me even knowing of it. Thank you."

She gave him another kiss on the lips before looking into his eyes again. "I guess that it's time for me to reveal my secret."

"Your secret?"

"Yeah. It was that second night you were here and you talked with your friend. I actually heard you confess that you were in love in me. So I knew about your feelings for me this entire time. But I didn't know what to do or what to say until now."

"I see. Well I guess this means that we're even."

The two of them laughed a little before Hayate drew Hitomi closer until their foreheads touched.

"I love you Hitomi. I will never forget this night, nor the love that we have for each other."

Tears began to form in her eyes as she replied, "I love you too, Hayate. No matter what happens, you will always be inside my heart."

Then they drew in for one final kiss as they hugged each other tightly, not wanting to let go. After they pulled away, Hitomi rested her head on Hayate's chest, falling fast asleep. He placed his hands on her back as he continued to hold her in his arms and drifted off into peaceful slumber. Although they were both sad that this was their only night together, it did not matter. They finally had their chance to share their love between each other.

* * *

><p>Well everyone. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. But this isn't the end. I'm planning on adding one last chapter to wrap this story up. Please make sure to leave a review.<p> 


	12. Until We Meet Again

Hey everyone! Wow! I've really impressed myself! I've managed to upload four straight chapters in a row! I'm on a roll!

Well folks, it is with great regret that I must inform you that this is indeed my last chapter for this fanfic. I've wanted to finish this story before _Dead or Alive 5 _comes out, but I never imagined that I would be this quick. But I have had a great time writing this story, and I hope that you all have enjoyed reading it.

So without further delay, I present to you the final chapter! Hope you like it!

* * *

><p>Chapter 12: Until We Meet Again<p>

The first streams of sunlight found their way into the room, reaching up to the two lovers who were sleeping on the couch bed. Hayate quickly opened his brown eyes as rays from the sun gently touched his face. He looked down at Hitomi, who was resting her head on his bare chest. He stroke her brunette hair sadly, as he knew that it was time for him to go. Then he got up and gently laid her back on the bed, for he wanted her to sleep for a little longer.

Hayate then grabbed his clothes and headed for the bathroom, as he wanted to take a quick shower before he left. Turning on the hot water, he stepped into the shower. As he rinsed his red brown hair, his mind was filled with thoughts of the future. He wondered what was in store for him and Hitomi.

_We've just confessed our love for each other last night, but now I'm heading back home and we'll never see each other again . . . That isn't right._

As he washed his body clean, he shook his head in disbelief. He just couldn't bring himself to accept what was to come. He didn't want this to be the last time he would ever be with the girl whom he loved with all of his heart.

_This is unacceptable. I can't just allow myself to break both of our hearts. There has to be a way . . . a way for us to see each other again. We can't just make love for one night and then be separated from each other the next day. I refuse to just accept it like that._

For a long time, Hayate just stood there in the shower, letting the hot water soak up his entire body. He tried to come up with ideas where he could see Hitomi again. But no matter how hard he tried, he came up with nothing. None of his ideas seemed to likely work.

_What can I do? I have my duties as the leader of the Mugen Tenshin clan. But I want to see Hitomi again. I can't just let her accept the fact that she could make love with me for only one night. I must think of something._

Turning off the shower, he stepped out and grabbed a nearby towel. As he dried himself off of the water, Hayate made up his mind.

_No matter what, I will see Hitomi again. I don't know how, but I know there is a way, and I vow to find it soon. I want to spend more time with her, even make more love with her. I swear that we will be together again in the future, and I will not give up hope._

After drying himself off completely, Hayate quickly put on his clothes and headed out of the bathroom. When he reentered the living room, he was surprised to see Hitomi standing near the couch bed. She was covering her body with the blanket they were sleeping with and was holding it at her breasts. He could tell that she had just woken up.

"Hayate . . . are you leaving now?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to take a quick shower before I leave."

"I see . . ."

Hayate slowly walked up to the couch bed, put on his black leather jacket and grabbed his pack, flinging it onto his back. He was ready to go. Hitomi accompanied him as he made his way to the front door. But he stopped and drew the girl towards his body with his arms. He captured her lips with his, kissing her with love and passion. He wanted to show her how much he loved her. Pulling away, he wrapped his arms around her waist and allowed her to bury her head into his chest. As he hugged her tightly, he could hear her cry and felt tears dampening his white shirt. She was truly sad to see him go.

"Goodbye, Hayate . . . I knew this time would come. I promise you that I will cherish last night forever, and you will always be in my heart."

His arms wrapped tighter around her. He couldn't bring himself to break her heart like this. He had vowed to not let this be the end for them.

"This won't be the end for us, Hitomi. We will see each other again."

Hitomi drew back, looking at him with surprise in confusion on her face. Hayate then continued.

"I can't just accept the fact that we could only share our love for each other for just one night and then we go on with our separate lives, never seeing each other again. I refuse to let it end like this. I don't want to end our love so abruptly when it had only just begun. I want it to last forever."

The brunette sadly shook as she replied, "But you have your duties as the leader of your clan that lives in secrecy, and I'm just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. I don't think it will work."

Hayate gripped Hitomi's shoulders very tightly and peered straight into her sky blue eyes with his dark brown ones. He looked at her with such conviction and determination. His desire for their love to last was incredibly strong.

"Have faith in me, Hitomi. I will find a way because I know it exists. I vow to make it work so that you and I can see each other again. I want to spend more time with you, share more memorable moments with you, and even make more love with you. I don't know when or how. It might even take a long time for us to see each other again. But I know that we'll see each other again. So believe in me. I will not stop until I find a way for us to see each other again. Please, Hitomi. I'm asking you this for the sake of our love for each other."

For a long time, Hitomi just stood there. Her hands were trembling as she held the blanket that covered her body. Her eyes were beginning to form tears as she stared at Hayate. Her entire body was shaking as he continued to grip her shoulders with his hands. She looked as she gave it some thought. She knew that seeing him again was nothing but a fantasy. It was like a dream that was destined to never come true. But there was still a piece of her heart that wanted to turn that fantasy into a reality. And he also had a point about their love. It would be wrong for them to just have one intimate night together and then abruptly end their love the next day. All of a sudden, Hitomi felt this burning desire in her heart to see Hayate again in the future. She too wanted their love for each other to never end.

Hitomi looked back up to Hayate and smiled as she answered, "Alright. I promise that I will wait for the day that we will see each other again. I'm putting all of my faith in you Hayate."

He returned her smile with his and drew her in for one last kiss. They wrapped their arms around each other and drew each other closer. The tears in Hitomi's eyes began to flow down her cheeks. She truly wanted to see him again, and she hoped that time would come soon. As they pulled away, Hayate nodded, silently telling her that it was time for him to go. As he opened the door, she held his hand, letting him know that she truly wanted to see him again. He smiled, letting her know that he would find a way to make that happen. He slowly drew his hand away until she finally let go and he went out. She stood by the entrance as she watched him go down the hallway until he disappeared as he went down the stairs.

Hitomi then made her way to the balcony and opened the double doors open and turned her attention to the entrance of the apartment, waiting for Hayate to emerge. Once he did, he looked up and saw her watching him. He gave her a wave of good bye and she replied with one of her own. He then turned and walked down the street, and she watched him walk further and further away until finally, he disappeared from her sight.

As she turned her attention to the rising sun, Hitomi spotted a blue butterfly making its way towards her. She reached out for it and it landed on her finger. She then whispered her deepest desire in her heart.

"I wish for me and Hayate to see each other again soon, and to have intimate and memorable moments that we will cherish forever in our hearts."

Then she let the butterfly fly away into the sky, towards the rising sun. As she looked out, her mind was filled with hope for a future where she would be together with the man she loved.

_Hayate, I will wait for that day when you and I will be together again. I promise._

* * *

><p>Hayate traveled far from the city towards the Black Forest, at the exact same spot where Hitomi had found him. Soon memories of their first meeting filled his mind. She was like an angel to him; saving him from his darkest part of his life, and bringing him back home with her. That gave him another chance at life. If it hadn't been for Hitomi, he probably would have been hopelessly lost with his life. He would never forget her for that act of kindness.<p>

When he was absolutely sure that he was alone, Hayate quickly changed into his ninja garb. It consisted of a black shozoku with grey chest armor, arm guards and shin guards, and a dark blue headband around his forehead. His trusted sword, Jinran-Maru, was resting in its scabbard that was on his back. He was ready to return home. He then leaped up to the treetops, where he looked back on the city for one more time. He knew that Hitomi would wait for him until they met again, and he vowed to find a way so they could reunite with each other soon in the future. He then turned and sprinted through the trees, towards the rising sun.

As he leaped from tree limb to tree limb, Hayate silently renewed his vow of returning to the girl who would always have his heart.

_I will come back to you, Hitomi. We'll be by each other's side and continue to share our love that will last forever. That day will come before either of us will know it. So wait for me. We'll see each other again soon._

_ I promise._

**The End**

* * *

><p>Well, there you have it folks! My first <em>DOA <em>fanfic is complete! I might plan on writing one with Kasumi and Ryu since I love that couple too.

I just want to say thank you to **LinKueiKunoichi, DragonNinja23,** and **Kage69** for your awesome reviews that have kept me going on writing this fanfic. And I want to extend my thanks to all of my readers who have been faithfully following my story.

Have a great summer!


End file.
